Continuation
by Azkadellio
Summary: Sequel to 'New Beginning'. Follow Jade and Tori as they work through the problems of the past, and deal with the problems that rise in the present and future. What will happen to Mr. West and Ryder? How will Jade take to living with the Vega's? Please read and review. Rated T for slight language and content.
1. The Story Continues

**Finally, my sequel to 'New Beginning'. This story takes place a few days after the end of 'New Beginning'. My OC Jace isn't seen too much, and neither will my other OC, Carlos, who we meet in the next chapter.**

**Please review, and tell me if there are any mistakes or if anything is confusing. This is in Jade's POV, unless noted otherwise.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VicTORIous. I own Jace and Carlos, as well as the soundtracks and iParty with VicTORIous on iTunes. I'm still working on the seasons and iFight Shelby Marx on iTunes.**

Things have been going well for Tori and I. Ryder hasn't been seen since what happened last time we were in school. Helen told us to take a few days off, so we did. Even though Tori and I were the only ones supposed to, the rest of the gang did as well. André and Beck have been getting closer than ever. I was concerned about Cat and Robbie because they seemed awkward around us couples at first, but recently they've seemed better around us. At first I thought it was because of us being two gay couples, but they assured us against that.

I stopped being worried about it when Tori tried to figure out what was wrong with them. I shouldn't be surprised, it is Tori afterall. It's a part of her charm to help. Apparently they felt bad that they were the only ones who didn't have someone to date. That ended when Tori found out they like each other, something we noticed a while ago when they got closer together. Turns out they wanted each other, but were afraid of how we'd react.

Shortly after, Tori convinced me to help her get them together. It wasn't needed, however. Turns out they got together before Ryder's scene in class, prior to him getting kicked out of Hollywood Arts, that is. They just kept it quiet for now.

Trina and I have been getting closer, surprisingly. She's still a little cautious around me, and I can't blame her. But she has gotten better at not watching me like I'm about to go on a murderous rampage, which I take as a good sign.

Mrs. Vega, or Holly as she tole me to call her a few times, has moved out and eventually moved in with Gary, Mr. Vega's ex-partner on the police force. I say ex because when the police chief found out he was taking sick days to sleep with his partner's wife, he kicked him off the force.

I don't know what happened after that, but I know Mr. Vega doesn't seem to care. He's there for Tori and Trina, and even me after I moved into the guest bedroom. He insists I call him 'David', but it feels weird to me.

I saw Holly, who I only call her that because her and David are no longer married, once since I moved it. She stopped by to collect the rest of her things, only to be rushed out by Trina when Holly made a comment about Tori being in insult to the family by dating a girl. That made me laugh at her face. Who's worse, a lesbian, or a cheater? Exactly, the cheater. You see why I laughed.

David welcomed me at that, watching the scene from the kitchen. After Holly stormed out, Trina gave me a small smirk, while Tori ran over to me and hugged me tight, catching me off guard.

Tori tried apologizing to me, and I told her to shush. It's not her fault her mother wound up being a homophobic bitch.

As good as things are going, I know that something bad will happen soon. As they say, all good things must come to an end. Too bad. I don't want this to end.

**I know it's short, but the next chapters will be longer. Mr. West and Ryder will get what's coming to them soon. Followers of 'New Beginning' will know why those two are mentioned. Please read 'In The End' and 'New Beginning' if you haven't, that way you will know the past of the trilogy.**

**Thanks to everyone who has read the two stories that led to this, and who have read this one. Please review.**


	2. Cousin Carlos

**I didn't plan on having two chapters up in one day, but I was bored and wrote this chapter and decided to post it at the same time as the first. Does anyone have an idea as to why VicTORIous is ending tomorrow? I thought there were supposed to be two more episodes, but I guess not. All I can thing of is that 'Freak the Freak Out' and 'Locked Up' must've counted as two episodes each, instead of one each, making the episode count 60 to them, not the 58 I thought they were on. Anyway, VicTORIous will live on in our memories, hearts, thoughts, re-runs, music, and any other way we can think of. Keep VicTORIous strong. Okay, I'm done for now. Here's chapter 2.**

**Takes place shortly after the first chapter.**

Monday morning, I wake up to the screeching that is Trina Vega. I know we get along better now, but her idea of singing isn't making anything easier. I wake up slowly, throwing the dark purple comforter off of me. When I first moved into the Vega house, the room they gave me had white everything. No one had a problem with me changing everything to a darker hue, so I was glad. The bed sheets and blankets are a dark purple, same as the pillow cases. The walls are a lighter purple, but still dark compared to what the Vega's are used to. The furniture is mahogany, same color brown that they usually come in. I didn't feel like changing that.

I stumble out of bed, heading to the closet and grabbing a change of clothes. I haven't worn skirts in a while, sticking with jeans, so I grab a pair of dark blue jeans, my usual boots, and a black long-sleeve shirt. Luckily, there are two bathrooms, so I make it to the one Trina is not using to take my morning shower. I don't worry about Tori too much, because she learned to wake up before Trina a while ago.

Sure enough, when I get downstairs after showering and getting dressed, she's in the kitchen making breakfast, Mr. Vega sitting on the dining room table, drinking coffee.

"Morning Jade. How'd you sleep?"

I glance over at Mr. Vega as I grab a mug for my morning coffee. I guess Tori didn't know I was there because she jumped slighlty when her dad spoke up. "Decent, Mr. Vega. Would have been better, but I forgot about Trina's 'nightly vocal exercises'."

"I told you, call me David." He says as I put a little sugar in my coffee and stir it. "Don't worry about Trina. You get used to it eventually."

"That or I could just duct tape her mouth at night." I say with a small laugh, causing the Vega's to laugh. I admire mr. Vega, I mean David, because he doesn't show his pain that his ex-wife and ex-partner have put on him by betraying him in front of everyone.

"True, but then you have to deal with her being mad at you for a few months after. And trust us," He says pointing to himself and Tori, who has started putting the breakfast on plates for us. "She's worse when she does that."

I start to help Tori with breakfast. I grab a plate that has eggs, bacon, and sausage and hand it to David, along with a fork and knife. As Tori sets the another plate down, I grab the orange juice out of the fridge, as well as two cups and fill them up. I place one cup across from me, and the other across from David. I learned a bit ago that Trina sits in front of her dad, and Tori sits in front of me.

"Tori, make breakfast!" We all flinch slightly when we hear Trina yell from upstairs as Tori places two of the plates, filled with the same as the other, in front of where Trina and I sit. We start laughing when Tori mocks Trina as she heads to the counter to grab her own plate.

We settle in a comfortable silence, eating our breakfast when Trina comes downstairs.

"You started without me?" Trina asks, appalled that we didn't wait.

"We didn't know how long your 'morning routine' would take. Besides, we just started, your foods still warm."

"Relax, Trina." David says when he sees Trina about to argue. "I have to go away for a few days for the station. Something about a new training program or something, I don't know. They haven't told me yet." He says with a sigh at the end. "Anyway, your cousin Carlos is going to come visit until I get back." He looks at his daughters as he says this. "He'll be here by the time you girls get home from school."

I watch Tori and Trina, wondering who this 'Carlos' guy is. Clearly, he's their cousin, but based on Trina's fear-stricken face and Tori's smile, I don't know how to react. After breakfast, David leaves for work, telling us no to do anything illegal before he gets back. The three of us head up to our rooms to grab our stuff for school, heading out to Trina's car afterwards. Yeah, Trina drives us. I threaten her every time for her singing, but she never takes the hint to shut up.

-Time Skip-

School was uninteresting. Cat and Robbie got into an argument over something he didn't do to help her in one of her dreams again. Beck and André had a bit of an issue, because Beck seems to be acting a bit like me now. At least, a guy talks to André. Tori elbowed me when I laughed. Beck and André are fine, so no real issue there. Other than that, not much else to say. Sikowitz was himself, and regular things at Hollywood Arts ensued.

Back at the Vega house, I feel awkward saying it's my house as well now, we relax on the couch, working on homework. Well, Tori and I are. Trina's upstairs doing who knows what. I'm surprised when no one was here when we got here. Wasn't cousin Carlos supposed to be here.

*knock knock knock*

"Get the dang door!" You guessed it, Trina from upstairs yelling at us.

"I'll get it." I give Tori a small smile as she gets the door. In the doorway is a man not much taller than Tori, with a dufflebag over his shoulder, wearing blue jeans, hiking shoes, and a plain white t-shirt, a black over shirt covering it. His hair is the same brown as Tori's, styled short and somewhat spiked.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic sucks." The mysterious guy says to Tori. "Am I not allowed in or something?" He asks with a raised eyebrow when Tori doesn't react.

"Carlos? Is that you?" She asks, clearly unsure.

"Last I checked. Seriously, can I come in?" I laugh a bit when he sounds so confused at this point.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Come in. This is Jade, my g-. Friend." She says, pointing to me as he steps in, closing the door behind him.

"What were you about to say?" He asks Tori, waving at me as he steps in. He walks over to me, holding his hand out for me to shake it. I don't at first, looking to my girlfriend who shrugs, hiding her face behind her hair. I shake his hand, before turning to Tori, a questionable look on my face.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." I admit, I'm starting to get a little frustrated. Is she ashamed of me? Or is cousin Carlos a homophobe?

"Tori! Who was at the door?!" Trina yells from the top of the stairs.

"Carlos!" Tori yells back, avoiding my gaze.

"I see Trina hasn't changed." Carlos says, taking a seat on the other couch, pulling his laptop out of his bag.

Tori takes her seat beside me, working on her homework again, like nothing happened. I look at her again, then continue my homework. Guess we'll talk about it later.

We finish a few minutes later, an uncomfortable silence between us.

"So, Carlos." I ask, growing weary of the silence. "What's your opinion on gay couples?" I figure I might as well ask. It is important information to me, giving the circumstances. I see Tori give me a 'what the hell?' look before he answers.

"I don't have a problem with them. If they're happy, what's the problem. I lived with one for a few months. He moved out when his boyfriend found an apartment for them, and I helped him pack and move. Why do you ask?" He says, glancing up from his laptop, glancing back down a few times as he talks.

"Curious." I see Tori waving her hands at me, trying to get me to stop talking. Might as well continue. "So, if someone you were related to were gay, you wouldn't mind?"

"Nope. Why, is someone I'm related to gay?" He asks, curious.

"No, just hypothetical." Tori says, voice a little shakey. "Huh, Jade?"

"Victoria, what are you hiding?" Carlos asks, catching Tori off guard with the use of her full name. "You're acting like you're afraid to admit something."

I watch as Tori stutters, not knowing how to answer. She doesn't get the chance to, when Trina comes down the stairs, interrupting us.

"Hey, I saw on The Slap that your friends are going to Nozu. You and your girlfriend going with them?" Trina asks Tori, looking at me when she says 'girlfriend'.

**I ended it here for the reason that I don't really know. It just seemed like a good place for a cliffhanger, which I use more than I ever intended. Next chapter will be up by Wednesday of next week. Please review, and thank you for reading.**


	3. Worried About Nothing

I glance over at Tori who looks like a statue, her mouth open in an 'o' shape, while her eyes are trained on Trina with a hint of anger and disbelief.

"Girlfriend? What's Katrina talking about?" I look over at Carlos when he asks Tori his question. I look at Tori again and notice that she's slightly fidgeting.

"Uh, well, you see." Tori starts, stopping to reorganize her thoughts. "Uh, yeah. Jade isn't just me friend."

"Okay?" Carlos says, glancing at me for understanding, earing a shoulder shrug from me.

"She's my girlfriend?" I laugh at Tori saying it like a question, surprising everyone with my outburst.

"Why did you ask? You sound like you're ashamed." I stop when the last word slips out of my mouth, suddenly serious. "Are you ashamed to date me?" I ask in disbelief.

"No, it's not that. It's just, Carlos has always been a little protective of me. Trina used to keep to herself, and Carlos would basically watch over me. He's more like a big brother, and I was afraid of his reaction. Even after he said he had a gay roommate, and you asking him about gay relatives, I was afraid he'd hate me or something."

The rest of us look at her, faces matching in confusement. I look at Trina who looks worried about her younger sister, then to Carlos who looks surprised.

"Look, Victoria. I'm happy you're gay. Trust me. You have nothing to be afraid of. Ok?" I watch as Carlos slowly gets up and takes a step towards Tori. "Look at the bright side. At least you don't have to worry about getting pregnant and the baby daddy disappearing." He jokes, earning a slight chuckle out of Tori. "Verdict's still out on Katrina though." He adds, half jokingly.

"Hey!?" We all laugh at Trina's outburst. Trina stomping upstairs after our short round of laughter.

"Feel better Little Star?" He asks, seriousness back.

"Yeah, thanks Carlos." She says with a smile, giving him a tight hug. "And what did I say about calling me 'Little Star?'" She says, giving him a faux glare.

"I like it. Why do you call her that though?" I chime in, happy that the tension is gone, looking at Carlos when I ask my question.

"Since 'Vega' is a star, I went with it. I really don't know what else to say about it, really. It was originally 'bird' instead of 'star', but star suits her better I think."

"I agree. How come you hated me calling you 'Vega' all those times before we started dating?" I ask as an after thought.

"I don't know. It was weird when my cousin called me 'Star' all the time, and now my then enemy started calling me my last name, which is where he got his nickname for me from. It's a little weird." She shrugs, taking a seat beside me.

"Understandable I guess. So, Carlos. What do you do for a living?" I ask, holding Tori close to me as her cousin takes his seat again.

"I'm a photographer. Bands hire me sometimes to go on tour with then and take pics to use as posters, site pics, stuff like that. Sometimes movies will hire me to take stills for them for the cover or something." He says, watching us curiously.

"What's with that look? And where's your camera?" Tori asks, noticing the same look as I did.

"How come your dad didn't tell me your girlfriend was living with you. In a separate bed, I hope?" He says after a minute of thinking.

"Yes, separate beds. Her room is the guest bedroom across the hall from mine. I don't know why dad didn't tell you. Where are you sleeping anyway? We kinda don't have any spare rooms now." Tori answers, resting her head on my shoulder.

"Couch. Uncle David said I could crash in his room, but I thought it'd be weird, after the divorce."

"You know about that already? They tried to keep it under wraps." Tori says as a small whisper.

"He told me when he asked me to watch over you girls. I asked where Aunt Holly is, and he explained it. How you holding up? I know you and your mom were close."

"'Were' being the word. I'm doing fine now. I'm more worried about dad though."

"That's good." He says comfortingly. "Now, are you guys going to Nozu with your friends? If so, you might want to call one of them to let them know soon." He asks the both of us.

"Do you mind? You just got here and I'm leaving you with Trina." Tori says, worried for her cousin. And who could blame her. He'd be stuck with the annoying Vega sibling until we get back.

"Don't worry about that." He says as I text Cat to find out what time they're meeting at Nozu. "You know I enjoy messing with her. After all, I am the one that made her walk in on grandma taking a shower." He says with a devious smile.

"That was you? Oh man, that was an awesome story." I say with a laugh, checking my phone when Cat texts back. "They're on the way. Cat said she'll have them wait for us if we're going." I say to Tori.

"Sure. How'd you hear about that? I never told you. Did I?" Tori asks, her face going from curious to confused.

"Cat told me after she got home the night when she got the zombie make-up stuck to your face." I say as my laughter subsides for now. "Go grab your stuff. Don't want to keep Cat waiting, do you?" I say with a serious face, but my tone and eyes show I'm joking.

"I'm coming too!" Trina yells as she comes down the stairs. "I hear Beck'll be there." She says, heading to the door.

"Beck's gay, Trina." Tori says as her sister opens the front door. Tori grabs her purse from the dining room table and heads back over to where I'm standing and puts her arm around mine.

"Fine! I didn't want to go anyway!" Tori and I laugh as Trina stomps up the stairs again, while Carlos just stays in his seat, looking at the stairs where Trina disappeared to.

"What is wrong with her?" He asks as we head to the door.

"You're asking me?" Tori says, opening the door. "We'll be back later. Don't kill Trina!" She says, closing the door behind her. We hear a faint 'No promises!' from inside as the door closes. I'm laughing as we head to Tori's car, stopping slightly when Tori notices a car beside hers that isn't Trina's or her dad's.

"I've seen that car before." Tori says, barely audible.

"No offense, babe. But let's go. You can worry about the car later. Cat's waiting for us and you know how she gets when she has to wait for too long." I say, urging her on.

"Yeah I know. Stop pushing me."

I give her an innocent smile as we get into her car, getting an eye roll from the half latina beside me as she puts her key in the ignition and starts the car.

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed for the first two chapters. I plan on updating every monday or Tuesday. This story will continue along chapter after chapter. Meaning that where the last chapter ended, the next chapter will continue. I will only use time skips for moments where they go to sleep, or school if I don't set anything to happen during it. I don't know how many chapters this will have, but I aim for at least 15.**

**Chapter 4 is in the works, and should be up tomorrow or Thursday.**

**Finally, does anyone know if the last episode of VicTORIous is online anywhere yet? I missed it because we don't have cable anymore and I couldn't stay at a friends house to watch it. If anyone knows a site with it, can you please tell me? I admit, I'm desperate. Is it sad that I sat dark silence from 7:58 to 8:32 Saturday night?**


	4. Dinner

The drive to Nozu was filled with comfortable silence. I stole looks at Tori during most of the drive. I know she noticed, she was doing the same as well.

After close to fifteen minutes, she pulls into the parking lot. Sure enough, Cat and the rest of the gang are waiting for us in front of the entrance. I smile when I see Cat and Robbie holding hands, but I'm a little worried about Beck and André not standing by each other.

"Yay! you're finally here!" I laugh at Cat's outburst. We barely stepped out of the car and Cat's voice can be heard like it's a few feet away.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Tori says as we step towards our friends, looking to André at the end.

"Apparently, Beck's parents don't know he's gay, and Beck won't tell them." André says, the usual cheer-filled voice he has missing as he talks to Tori.

"Why not? You know they won't hate you. They're not judgemental or hateful people, Beck. Tell them." I say to my ex-boyfriend.

"Well, they still kind of hate you though." He says, in a quiet voice.

"That's because Jadey wasn't nice to them." Cat chimes in, knowing that information from when Beck and I were talking about it shortly after I met them. "Andre's not like that. He'll be nice and respectable, opposite of Jade."

Everyone laughs at Cat's help. Beck looks like he's ready to bust out laughing, Robbie looks a bit ashamed for Cat's lack of filter, André looks stunned at Cat's bravery, and Tori is simply amused.

"Wow, Jade. No wonder they hate you." Tori says with a laugh at the end. "Of course, the Rottweiler didn't help anything either."

"That was your idea, Vega!" I yell, but not in anger. I look at her in surprise, laughing a little at the end.

"Who was it that told me that Beck wanted a Rottweiler?" She says with a knowing look. "I believe her name starts with a 'J' and ends with an 'E'." She says, using a smirk she learned from me.

"Jane?" We all look at Cat's cluelessness. "Do we know a Jane?"

"No, Cat. We don't. And Tori was talking about Jade." Robbie says gently to his girlfriend, who smiles wide at Robbie for filling her in.

"Ok, fine. It was my idea. Happy?" I say, turning to face Tori. "It was my idea. I'm the one who put him in the RV without checking to see who was in there."

"You said Tori did it." Beck says at the end of my mini rant, Tori giving us disbelieving looks.

"You blamed me? What the hell?" Everyone looks at Tori now. Not because she didn't know, but because she swore.

"Dang, girl." André says, making him and Tori laugh at a memory no one else knows.

"Can we just eat now?!" I yell, breaking up the two friends laugh fest.

"KK!" Cat yells, answering for everyone. We follow Cat and Robbie in, Beck and André behind us. We find seats pretty quickly, which surprises me a bit because Nozu is usually busy this time of day.

"You should tell your parents, Beck." Tori says after we sit down. It's quiet for a few moments as we wait for a waiter, Tori looking at Beck with concern in her eyes.

"Tori, let him tell them in his own time. Maybe he's not ready yet." I say, showing a hint of compassion towards Beck and his predicament. I roll my eyes when everyone looks at me like I grew five extra heads. "Stop looking at me like that." I snap, causing everyone but Tori to flinch back in their seats.

"Evening. My name is Aaron, and I'll be your waiter today. What may I get you to drink?"

"Water." "Green Tea." We say, the guys going with water and the girl green tea.

"Ok. I'll have those for you in a minute." Aaron says, glancing down my shirt as he leaves. I give him a glare, but his back is already to me, so he doesn't notice it, but Beck does.

"What's with the glare?" He asks, catching the attention of the others.

"That waiter just stared down my shirt." I say, facing Tori.

"You're kidding? Want me to tell the manager?" Cat says, trying to be helpful.

"It won't work too well, Baby Girl." I tell her, using the nickname I gave her a few years ago, one I rarely use. "The manager is that lady you met when I did 'Well Wishes', and she hates Tori and me for hanging her daughter all night so I could put the play on my way, not hers."

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about her. What are you going to do then?" Cat replies, a curious look on her face.

"I don't know. I'm torn between using my scissors to cut out his eyes or cut off his head."

"Here are your drinks." We all turn when our waiter, whose name I don't care for, sets our drinks down. We all give him a glare, which he chooses to ignore I'm guessing because he clears his throat and asks us what we want to eat. We give him our orders, watching him carefully. I notice Tori grasping her chopsticks tightly, looking like she's ready to use them to stab him again. I smile at that.

He walks away soon after, writing the last of our orders down as he goes. Not paying attention to the direction he went, I excuse myself to use the restroom. On the way back, I see the waiter standing by the door frame, a wide smile on his face.

"Evening beautiful." He says, taking a step towards me as he does.

"Jump off a cliff, asshole." I reply, no emotion on my face or in my voice, but my eyes showing slight fear out of remembrance of the past.

"You know, if I could re-arrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together." He says smugly, instantly making me laugh.

"Really? I like the alphabet the way it is. 'N' and 'O' side by side."

"I don't get it." He says with a stupid look on his face.

"NO!" I yell, causing him to flinch. I don't realize the restrooms are close to the restaurant itself, until I see Tori come running up to me upon hearing me yell. I guess I was more urgent than I realize, because she does not look happy.

"Jade, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I say as the waiter walks away. "Just dealing with a pest."

She doesn't seem to know what to say, and who can blame her? I follow her as we walk back to our seats, the others looking at us. We sit in silence, the others watching Tori and I carefully. Eventually, the waiter comes back and hands us our food, avoiding my direction entirely. Wow, didn't think I scared him so much.

The rest of the dinner goes well. I tell them what happened after the bathroom earlier, and why Tori and I seemed stressed. Beck laughs when I tell him about my yelling at him, realizing why the waiter avoided me.

We split off close to an hour after we got there, spending time talking to Beck to get him to tell his parents. He eventually agrees, and we go our separate ways. Beck and André take Beck's truck towards his house, hopefully to talk to his parents. Cat and Robbie are in Robbie's new car, Robbie dropping Cat off at her house before heading home. Tori and I head to her house, our house, I still feel weird saying it's my house as well.

The drive is quiet, stealing glances at each other just like the way up. She pulls into the driveway, looking at the car with a wondering look on her face.

"What's up? Why do you keep looking at that car like that?" I ask after over a minute of her staring at the car.

"Sorry. I've seen that car. I don't know why, but I know it." She says, turning to me before opening the driver side door to get out. "Come on. Let's head inside."

"K." I step out as she does. "Hey, What was Cat saying towards the end of dinner?" I ask, remembering Cat whispering something to Tori as we finished eating.

"Oh, she was asking why we haven't had a card night in a while. I figure, now that things have calmed down, we could have another this Saturday." She says as we walk up the walkway to the front door. She opens it I follow her inside. "You okay with that?" She asks as we set our stuff down on the couch and head to the kitchen and grab some pink lemonade.

"Sure. Who's all coming?" I say after taking a sip of my pink drink.

"Cat and Robbie agreed. Beck and André nodded their heads, so I'm assuming they're in as well. Then there's you and me, and possibly Trina. You know she likes to sit in on those." She says with an eye roll at the end.

"True. What about your cousin? When's he leaving town?"

"What am I, invisible?" We jump when he speaks up, us not knowing he was so close. "To answer your question, not until sunday evening. Why?" He says, taking his pearbook our of his bag and turning it on.

"We're doing a card night this Saturday. You'll be able to meet the rest of the gang then." Tori answers her cousin.

"I thought you were only staying a few days? Saturday's five day's away." I ask, remembering David saying he'd be back by Friday.

"He called me earlier, saying he's staying a couple of extra days for a break." Tori and I stare at each other for a moment, looking to Carlos as we do.

"What do you mean, a break?" Tori asks, concern for her father in her voice.

"I think it's because the divorce is still so new." Carlos answers, a hint of worry in his voice. "He needed to stay away a bit longer I guess, and I told him I'd tell you." He finishes, looking at Tori as he does.

"Good. I'm glad. He needs it." She says with a smile on her face. "What are you doing on your laptop?" She asks suddenly, noticing how active he seems on his laptop.

"Chatting with a few friends I met while taking band photos. They want me to send them behind the scene pics from the Evanescence tour I just finished helping with a few weeks ago."

"Cool. You gonna do it?" Tori asks.

"I'm waiting to hear back from the band manager. I need his permission before I can give out photos."

"Sounds reasonable." Tori says, taking a sip of her lemonade. "So, you gonna play cards with us?"

"I guess. What game?"

"Poker." She says casually.

"Crap. I suck at poker. You don't bet with money, do you?" He asks, looking worried.

"No. We use candy." I say, amusement in my voice at the slight fear in his.

"Good. I'll buy some tomorrow while you two are in school. What kind of candy and how many bags?" He asks, shutting his laptop and putting it away.

"We usually use M&M's. And I'd say a couple of bags to be safe? You don't have to you know." Tori says, being her usual nice self.

"I got it. I have nothing planned over the next few days. No bands need me and no one else needs a photographer. Other than that, I just have some editing to do. Don't worry Little Star. Jade, make sure she doesn't do anything." He says to me with a serious yet joking tone.

"Aye aye, captain." I day, having fun. Surprisingly, with someone I barely know.

"I'm a captain? When the hell did that happen?" He says, making Tori and I laugh at him.

**This chapter was originally going to include the card game, but I'm saving that for a future chapter. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VicTORIous or Evansescence. I'm just a fan of them both. Probably should have put this at the beginning, huh?**

**Also, I came up with Jade's response to the waiter's pick up line while listening to the VicTORIous 3.0 soundtrack. Just thought I'd throw that in. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and told me the episode was up. Not a bad way to end the show, in my opinion. Leaves the true ending of the series open for people to interpret.**


	5. Breakfast

The next morning, I wake up to Trina's singing. Or, as I call it, screeching. I hurry and grab a change of clothes and rush to the bathroom located between Trina's and my room. I think David is messing with me for hurting Tori in the past by rooming me so close to Trina. It's wrong to subject a person to that kind of horror.

"Trina! I beg of you, shut up! It is 6:30, and if we don't want to torture anyone at the moment! Shush!"

I stand at the door of my room with a stunned look on my face. I see Trina getting out of the bathroom, fresh out of the shower, with a similar look. Apparently Carlos isn't a morning person. That or Trina just annoys him to no end.

"Sorry, Trina. You know not to do that with him here." Tori says, sorry for her sister, heading leaving her room, heading downstairs. "Morning Jade." She says to me, walking to me to give me a quick kiss. "I'll be downstairs making breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage and orange juice okay?" She asks me and Trina, both of us giving her slight nods of agreement.

"You okay, Trina?" I ask as I head to the bathroom, noticing she still hasn't moved.

"Yeah. Yeah." She says in a whisper. "Little heads up, Jade. Never make him hate you. He's a nice guy, but if you push him too far, you learn." She says with a serious look in her eyes.

"Thanks for the heads up." I say, confused. "No offense, but can you move please? I need to shower." I say to the still motionless Latina in front of me.

"Oh, sorry. Yeah."

I watch as she heads to her room. I guess I know why she doesn't seem to afraid of me. Her reaction to him yelling seems to have scared her senseless or something. I shake it off and head in to take my shower.

Tori POV

I head down and see Carlos sitting on the couch, drinking some greenish-yellow liquid.

"Whatcha drinkin cuz?" I say, using the urban accent I used when 'The Wood' taped me.

"Two things, Little Star. One." He says, turning to me with an amused look on his face. "Never do that again. It is not your style. Two." He says, taking a drink of the liquid. "It's Mountain Dew." He says casually.

"Mountain Dew? You're drinking soda this early in the day? What is wrong with you?" I say with a small laugh at the end as I head to the kitchen and grab the stuff for breakfast. "Want some eggs and sausage?"

"Sure. Sorry about yelling at Trina. I don't know how to explain it. Just something from when we were younger." He says, setting his soda down and heading upstairs. "I'll be back down in a minute. I got something for you and your girlfriend."

He heads upstairs before I can ask him anything. I shrug it off, cracking some eggs and grabbing the sausages from the fridge. I grab the bacon and orange juice soon after and grab the pans needed for the sausage and bacon.

Jade POV

After the shower, I get dressed and head back to my room to do my hair and make-up. Nothing really changes, hair's in the same style, make-up as well. I put in a purple streak in one side, and blue on the other. I say a blue feather in Tori's hair earlier, so I put a matching blue on the left side, same as where her feather is.

I grab my Gears of War bag and head downstairs. I place my bag on the couch and head over to the kitchen and watch Tori hurry over the stove making breakfast.

"You'd be an amazing housewife."

She jumps when I speak my thought out loud, no knowing I was there.

"Not too soon, I hope." We both jump at the third voice. We look over and see Trina heading into the kitchen, taking the seat beside me. "I still don't trust you, Jade, so I hope she waits until you can prove you won't hurt her again."

"Don't worry, Trina. I won't make that mistake again. So, Tori." I say to the Latina at the stove, finishing breakfast. "What do you think of the idea?"

"As long as I'm your housewife, I like it. No one else though. Just you." She smiles as she grabs some plates and silverware. I get up to help her, but she pushes me towards the table, before turning back to the stove and putting the food on the plates. She grabs three cups and fills them with orange juice, placing them in front of Trina, me, and where she's sitting.

"What about your cousin? Where's the rest of his food and his orange juice?" I ask, looking to the Vega sisters or an answer.

"He doesn't care for bacon." Trina says as Tori heads into the living room grabbing a cup from the table and placing it where the rest of the food is.

"And he's drinking Mountain Dew." Tori finishes as their cousin comes downstairs with a couple of bags.

"Sorry. Forgot where everything was." He says, earning a confused look from Trina and me, taking the seat with his food. "Thanks cousin. Now, I was bored and went shopping last night."

The three of us look at him like he's an idiot. He just laughs before taking something out of one of the bags.

"Tori, you still like Katy Perry, right?" I laugh when Tori shakes her head in a 'yes' furiously, mouth open slightly. I'm glad she wasn't eating anything at the moment. "Good. They came out with a box set of her DVD and her latest album with an autographed pic. Here ya go." Trina and I cover out ears when Tori gives a squeal that rivals Cat's, and poor Carlos got the brunt of it.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" I watch as he gets up and gives him a hug that looks almost as tight as Cat's, which is saying something because I think she could crush a bear's ribs with one of her hugs. "How much did you spend on it? Did you take the picture?" I laugh again at how fast she asked those questions.

"It's not important. I missed your last two birthday's, so I wanted to make up for it. And no, I didn't take the pic. I met the guy who did, and his stuff is awesome." He turns to me, a devious smile on his face. "I hear you like horror movies?"

"Yeah?" I get worried when Tori and Trina look like their worst nightmare has come to life in front of them.

"Ever hear of 'Scatter Shot'?" He says, his smile growing a little darker.

"No, It sounds stupid." 'The Scissoring' and the 'Saw' series don't really effect, and they're some of the worst movies you can watch.

"It's from an underground production company about a gun enthusiast using his trusty shotgun to kill everyone who ever made fun of him. The kills are cool. Here." I watch as he pulls a DVD out of the other bag and hands it to me. The cover is a sawed-off shotgun with blood on the barrel, the words 'Scatter Shot' across the top in what looks like it was shot into a door. I turn it around and look at the back. There are no screenshots from the film, just a description of the movie with the cast and crew list. The only image is of a shotgun wielding guy dressed in a business suit and a beekeepers mask on. His face isn't really visible because of the screen on the mask.

"A business man who kills people? That's the idea? Like I said, stupid." I place the DVD on the table. I didn't notice that as I was looking over the case, Tori and Trina finished breakfast and have put their dishes in the sink. I finish mine and put it away, chugging the rest of the orange juice and grabbing my bag. "I'll give it a shot later, it as a horror movie."

"I'm not watching it." Tori says, grabbing her bag as well. "See ya later Carlos, and thanks again for the Katy Perry DVD and CD." She says, giving him a grateful smile. I wave to Trina as she heads up to grab her stuff, and Carlos who starts the dishes, setting his plate with the others as the water warms up.

I follow her to her car and get into the passenger seat. When Tori sits down, I lean over and give her a quick peck on the cheek, earning a smile from my beautiful girlfriend. "How come you and Trina looked so horrified earlier?" I ask as we pull out of the driveway.

"Scary movies affect him less than you. If he looks like that while talking about one, it's a nightmare inducing film before the first kill." She says with a shake at the end.

"That bad, huh?" I smile when she nods her head vigorously. "Good. I'll watch it later then." I see her eyes bug out when I say that. "Relax, I'll watch it when you're asleep or something." She calms down slightly at that, but still looks worried.

"Please, keep your lights on. His smile means it's incredibly scary, and I don't think you can handle it well." She says with fear in her voice.

"Okay. Since you're so scared, I will. I'll even keep a few pair of sharp scissors by me." I smile when I see her relax a little more. Damn, she's turned me soft if I feel like I have to calm her down for a movie I'm watching, not her.

**The next chapter will take place in school. I have a plan for Sikowitz's class. Again, thank you to everyone who reviews and reads my stories. It means a lot to me when you all tell me you like them. I made up 'Scatter Shot', and if there's an actual movie by that name, I apologize. I hinted at a darker Carlos, and there will be a reason. I'll explain it when I do the card game chapter.**

**I know I said updates will be once a week, but I may aim for twice a week. Thank you again, and please review for this chapter as well.**


	6. Improv

The drive to school is silent from that point on. I glance over every once in a while and notice that she still has a fearful look in her eyes, but it has calmed down a bit. By the time we get to school, she's back to her old self it seems. She still has a hint of fear, but it's minor.

"Did you hear about Sikowitz's new play?" She asks as we step out of the car.

"No, what about it?" I ask as I drape my bag over my shoulder.

"Don't know. It's Sikowitz." She says as we pass through the Asphalt Cafe, waving at some students who say hi to us.

"True. Hey, do you know what was with Carlos this morning? He seemed so calm and everything before, but he had a lot of anger in his voice when he yelled at Trina."

"All he told me it was something from when the two of them were younger." She answers as we enter the school. I follow her to her locker first. It's become routine for us to stop at her locker first, then head to mine after.

"Ok? That's odd." I say with a shrug. We make small talk until we're done at both of our lockers, heading towards Sikowtiz's class.

"Hey girls." I turn around and see André walking towards us, a smile on his face. "What's up chicas?"

"Hey, Dre." I say, watching Tori hug André. "Where's Beck?" I ask as they stop hugging. "You two are usually no farther than one inch from each other."

"Talking to Sikowitz about the new play. I'm doing the music. He's trying out for the main. My boys got it." He says with a prideful smile at the end as we start walking towards Sikowitz's class.

"Someone's a little biased." Tori says with a small laugh. "But you have a point. He's good."

"You're both right." I say, stopping them from walking. "What kind of play is it?"

"Don't know much. I'm just doing the music." André says, shrugging. "Don't know much else. You two planning on auditioning?"

"I'm not. I hear that the school is doing a concert in a few weeks, so I'm gonna work on a song. I'll need help with music, but if you're too busy, I'll talk to some of the others around school." Tori answers, looking between me and André.

"How about you, Jade?" André says, turning to me.

"Nah. I'll just watch. I'm working on a new play myself." I answer as we walk into Sikowitz's class. "Don't have much of it planned yet, though."

"Jade!" The three of us jump as we take our seats. André sits up front beside Beck, giving each other a hug and a quick kiss as they sit. Tori and I take seats in the back. I drape my arm over her shoulder and pull her in close.

"What, Sikowitz?" I say in a bored tone.

"You and Tori step up here. Cat and Robbie, you two as well." Sikowitz says, sitting in a seat in the back to watch us, sipping a coconut.

The four of us take our places on the stage. Sikowitz doesn't tell us anything after a few moments, so I yell his name, getting him back to the class. He takes a sip and speaks up.

"The four of you are to do a scene. We need a scene place." He says to the class. A few people give ideas, and he decides on 'at work' and 'big news'. I laugh slightly because of the first time Tori came to Hollywood Arts. "Action!"

"Good morning all." I state, stepping onto the stage in a professional way. "Do you know why we are all here?"

"No. The message came in at the last moment, ma'am." Tori says in a business-like tone.

"I called you all in for a talk. I hear that two of you are involved in a relationship. You all know that there are no relationships outside of business relationships." I say, staring at the three in front of me. "I was informed of this 'relationship' recently, so if the parties involved admit it now, there will be no repercussions." I say, watching the three in front of me.

"I don't know who told you this information, but are you sure it's reliable?" Robbie says, watching Cat out of the corner of his eyes.

"Unimportant. Are you involved, Mr. Shapiro?" I say in a slightly angry tone.

"N-no, Miss West." He answers, avoiding my gaze.

"Miss West, I just started here, and I barely know anyone here. Why am I here?" Tori says, eyes wondering.

"I'm glad you asked, Miss Vega." I say with a smile. "I was informed that you heard something when you were here overnight last week. What did you hear?"

"Well." She starts, a little hesitant. "I heard moaning and groaning. I was in the break room, cleaning the coffee pot, and I heard it. I didn't see anything, and I rushed out soon after. I don't know what else to say."

"It's okay, Miss Vega. But you, Miss Valentine, have been seen in the office quite a bit over the last few weeks. You as well, Mr. Shapiro. Now, are you two romantically involved?" I say, glaring at them.

"Yes, Miss West." Cat says in a quiet tone. "We tried to be quiet and discreet, but I guess we didn't expect anyone to be there."

"It's okay, Miss Valentine." I say, dismissing her. "I will have security cameras installed soon, so if you two plan on doing this at work again, I will know, and you will be fired. Understood?" I say to them.

"yes, ma'am." They both say.

"Good. You two are dismissed. Miss Vega. You hang back. I have a question for you." I wait until Cat and Robbie take their seats. "I must apologize for holding you back. I know this must've been a little awkward for you. I thank you for being so enthusiastic about the work I ask you to do."

"It's okay, Miss West." She says, somewhat shyly. "May I go, Miss West?"

"In a minute, Miss Vega. Who asked you to clean the coffee pot?"

"No one, Miss West. I know how much you like your coffee throughout the day, and I noticed it hasn't been cleaned properly, lately. So, I cleaned it."

"I must thank you, Miss Vega. You may go now." I smile as she gets up. "Before you leave." I walk up to her as she stops and turns around. Before she asks anything, I grab the back of her head and kiss her roughly. I release her after a few seconds and watch her as she slowly pulls away. "Tell no one." I say with a wink.

**Thank you for reading and reviewing. I appreciate every review I get.**

**I have a question for all of you. If I made Carlos a permanent character, instead of temporary, would anyone have a problem with that?**

**Nest chapter will be up Tuesday.**

**Thank you alma_rukia for answering the question when I asked you. I appreciate the input.**


	7. Job Offer

**I decided to try a chapter in Carlos' POV. It takes place during the same time as the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter and told me their comments on Carlos being permanent or not. To everyone who wondered what his role will be, there's a hint in this chapter. This story takes place during Tori and Jade's senior year. Trina has taken a year off before college.**

I watch as the girls leave for school. Trina collects her stuff and heads out, saying she's grabbing some stuff for around the house. I can tell she's still shaken up from earlier this morning, but some scars don't heal. I still remember when we were younger. When Trina was only 10, and I was 14, we were close, basically best friends. That changed, without me knowing then, when she started watching musicals and stuff. She got into a mindset that she was a star in the making, and had to prep herself for stardom. Looking back, I regret telling her so many of my secrets. She started hanging out with the 'popular' kids and started telling them my secrets, hoping they would let her join their group.

She must not have thought I would find out.

_Flashback_

_She came home one day, surprised to see me sitting on the couch. Aunt Holly was standing in the kitchen, looking at her. She stepped into the living room, Uncle David following her, setting her bag on the floor, stopping when she gets close to the couch._

_"What's wrong guys?" She asks in confusement at my unexpected arrival._

_"What have you been telling your 'friends' at school?" Aunt Holly asks her eldest daughter, using air quotes around friends._

_"N-nothing. Why?" Trina asks, looking around now, not looking at me or Aunt Holly._

_"Because the older brother of one of those girls you hang out with beat up Carlos during lunch, making fun of him for something. No one told me what it was, but Carlos told me on the way here that the only person when knew it, was you." Aunt Holly asks, sending a disappointed look to Trina._

_"I didn't mean to!" Trina yells suddenly, catching all of us off guard. "It slipped! We were talking and I mentioned it. How was I supposed to know they would tell?"_

_"You told people a secret of your cousins. Is being popular really_ _more important to you than family?" Aunt Holly asks._

_"I'm sorry, Carlos. Please forgive me!" She yells, walking towards me. I don't look at her, or even acknowledge her. I simply get up, grab my stuff, and walk over to Uncle David, asking him if he can take me home._

_I follow him to his car after that, not looking at anything put the path in front of me._

_Flashback End_

I became a little darker that day. Over the years, I kept slipping into a dark place, not trusting anyone else. I thought I got rid of the resentment I had towards Trina, but her singing reminded me of her becoming a diva, and I couldn't help it. I do regret it, but I don't know what to do about it. It's how I became closer to Tori. I knew she wouldn't do something like that, and she always seemed so innocent to me.

I push the thoughts out of my head, grabbing my car keys and heading out to take care of the shopping I promised Tori. I step out to my black Mitsubishi Eclipse. There's nothing special about it, just a solid black with factory installed rims.

I unlock the door and step in, turning the car on as I close the door. 'What You Want' by Evanescence blares from the speakers. I turn it down, starting to sing along to Amy Lee's haunting voice. Yeah, I sing sometimes. Not well, but it's fun.

The drive to the store is decent, taking me almost 15 minutes to get there. As I pull into a parking space, I turn the car off, cutting off the chorus of 'My Heart Is Broken'. I step in, heading to the candy section. I never heard of using candy to bet with, but oh well. I grab four bags of M&M's, two plain and two peanut. I grab some coffee for Jade. Tori informed me how much she loves it, and we're running low.

I grab some soda as well. I grab a 2 liter of Mountain Dew, a 2 liter of Pepsi, and a 2 liter of Coke. I also grab pink lemonade. Tori likes it, and we're out.

I head to the checkout counter, grabbing myself a pack of Big Red gum while I wait. I pay the cashier and head back to my car, placing everything in the trunk.

The drive back is quicker than the drive up, considering there's less traffic. As I pull into the driveway, I notice Trina's car in the spot it was in before, taking the spot beside it. Grabbing the stuff from the trunk, I head in, seeing her talking on her phone. I give her a quick wave as I pass, receiving a hesitant wave back.

A few hours later, I make myself a sandwich for lunch. I pull my laptop out, checking my messages to see if anyone needs me in any way, but there are none, so I look up some fellow photographers, chatting with them for a bit to catch up.

Trina comes downstairs to grab lunch as I'm chatting. I notice she avoids my gaze, and feel bad about it.

"Trina, I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier." I say as she takes a seat at the kitchen table. "It's just that I still remember when we were younger, and you betraying me for popularity hurt." I say truthfully.

"I really am sorry I said that." She says after a few minutes of silence. "Do you hate me?" She asks, looking down again.

"Not anymore. I did. But I got over it." I watch as she lifts her head, walking over to the couch. "I want to talk to you about something." I add in as she sits.

"What's up?" She says hesitantly.

"Why did you tell them?" I ask. I've been wondering about that since it happened.

"I don't know. They were saying something about you and how they wish you weren't so calm all the time, and it slipped." She looks at me with pain in her eyes as she continues. "I regretted that the moment it happened. More so when I found out what happened to you. I haven't talked to them since that happened."

"It's okay, Cousin." I say, pulling my now crying cousin into a hug. "I forgive you, Starburst." I say, using the nickname I gave her when we were kids. "Promise me you won't do it again though." I say in a serious tone.

"Don't worry, I won't. I promise." She says, wiping away some tears.

"Good. Now, I think you should get some singing lessons." I see her face contort in confusion and pain, and I continue before she can say anything. "You have talent, but you over do it. Take some lessons to learn how to sing without making yourself heard. Does that make sense?"

"Not really." She says, wiping away the rest of her tears.

"Okay. Let me put it this way. When you sing, you do it as loud as you can, right?" I watch as she slightly shakes her head. "Next time, try to sing casually. Do you get it?"

"I guess. Kinda. Where would I get the lessons from? The good teachers teach at Hollywood Arts."

"Ask one of your friends." I say with a shrug.

"I don't talk to them that much anymore. Besides, most of them are actors or writers, not singers." She says with a shrug of her own.

"Okay, well isn't Tori's friend André a singer?" When she shakes her head yes, I continue. "Ask him. Ask Tori too. They might help."

We sit in a comfortable silence after she agrees to at least ask. She heads up to her room after a while, giving me a quick hug as she does. I hope I didn't forgive her too soon.

Around 2:30, I get a phone call, the chorus of 'Remember The Name' by Fort Minor playing as my ringtone.

"Hello?" I ask as I put my phone to my ear.

"Is this Carlos Vega?" A feminine voice answers.

"Yes. How may I help you?"

"My name is Helen. I'm the principal of Hollywood Arts." Helen says casually.

"Yes?" I asks, curious about why she's calling me.

"We're looking for a new photography teacher. The old one retired and we were hoping you could help?" She says the last part like a question, but there's an undertone of urgency, like it's more of an expectation that I say yes.

"How may I ask did you know to call me?" I ask as I look towards te stairs where Trina disappeared to earlier.

"You cousin, Tori. She overheard some of the teacher's talking about needing a replacement teacher in the photo lab, and she gave me your number."

"Oh, uh. Is it okay if I think about it over night?" I ask as I see Trina coming back downstairs.

"Sure. Let me know soon. If so, you'll start monday of next week."

"Ok, thank you. Either I'll call or I'll ask Tori to let you know when she gets in tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye. Hope to find out soon." She doesn't give time to answer, she just hangs up.

"That was weird." I say to myself, not realizing Trina coming by me.

"What's weird?" She asks as she takes a seat on the couch, a glass of pink lemonade in hand.

"The principal at Hollywood Arts just called me. Apparently they need a new photography teacher, and Tori gave Helen my number."

"Huh. That is weird. You gonna do it."

"Don't know yet. You think I should take it?"

"Go for it. What about the tours and everything you help with though?" She asks as an afterthought.

"I don't know. I got a message earlier telling me that I won't be needed for a while. Most bands hire their own personal photographer, so I guess that's taken care of." I say nonchalantly shrugging my shoulders at the end.

"Well, I think you should. I'm sure dad would let you just stay here with us." Trina says. I shrug my shoulders as Tori and Jade enter the house.

"Hey guys." Tori says with a smile, while Jade gives a small wave to Trina and me.

"Little Star?" I ask as the set their stuff down. "Why did some woman named Helen just call me?"

**Next chapter will resume from Jade's POV, picking up shortly before they get home. I wanted to show a bit of the past between Carlos and Trina. I went with betrayal because it's something I can relate to. Also, if anyone was wondering. Carlos is based off of Carlos Olivera from Resident Evil. My character is younger than the Carlos in the games and movies, being only 23 in here. But facially, my Carlos looks like a younger version of him. His hair is the same as Oded Fehr's from the RE movies. The car that Tori saw from a few chapters ago, which is the same from the one she say in 'New Beginning' is the one I mentioned as Carlos'.**

**Thank you for reading, and for all of your reviews. Chapters will be on Tuesdays and Fridays. If I can't update on either day, I'll update as soon as I can. And I apologize for being a day late. I meant to update yesterday, but I was in a hurry yesterday and forgot.**

**Chapter 8 is almost finished, and should be posted tomorrow.**

**On a side note, who has seen the new Victoria Justice movie 'Fun Size'?**


	8. Filler

**We're back in Jade's POV for this chapter. I'll try not to do chapters in other POV's, unless I think it can help tell the story.**

**I called it 'Filler' because I simply couldn't think of a name.**

The drive back home, I still have an odd time calling it that, was filled in comfortable silence. Occasionally, there'd be small talk, but Tori seems to have something on her mind, so I don't push it.

"Do you think Carlos will be upset with me for giving Helen his phone number?"

I turn slightly towards my Latina girlfriend, confused at her question. "Why would he?" I stare at her for the duration of the ride home, her being silent the rest of the way.

"I feel bad about it." She says as we step out of the car, heading to the door.

"It's not like you promised Helen he'd take it. Talk to him about it, let him know you were trying to help." I say comfortingly. We head inside, a smile on her face at my words.

"Hey guys." She says to Trina and Carlos. I wave at them as we head in, looking to Tori to comfort her at Carlos' words.

"Little Star? Why did some woman named Helen just call me?" I stare between the two cousins, worried at how casual Carlos sounds.

"Uh, well. You see. Are you mad?" Tori stutters, slowly sitting down on the couch opposite him.

"No, no, relax." He says, Tori's shoulders relax at his words. "Why did she call though?"

"I overheard her talking about how they need a new photography teacher, and I thought of you." She says, shrugging her shoulders, watching her cousin carefully.

"I appreciate it, but it's a little odd, don't you think?" He says to us, looking to the three of us, including us in the conversation. "What are your thoughts?" He says curiously, to each of us.

"I think you should do it." Trina says first. "You're good, and you can meet Sikowitz. Something tells me you'd like him." She adds as an afterthought.

"I agree." I say, shrugging as I sit beside Tori. "About both things." I send a small smile to Trina. "Also, if you meet some kid named Sinjin, threaten him. He freaks us out." I say, earning nods of agreement from the Vega sisters.

"And you, Little Star?" Carlos says, turning to face Tori after giving a slight nod to Trina and me for out input.

"I think you should do it. I mean, I gave Helen your information for a reason." She says, worry slightly in her voice. "You thinking about doing it?"

"Thinking about it. I told her I'd let her know soon." He answers. "Hey, Jade, question for ya."

"What's up?" I ask.

"When are you gonna watch 'Scatter Shot'?" He says with an odd look on his face.

"I'm thinking tonight. Why?" I say, shifting uncomfortably at the look in his eyes, and the way Tori and Trina are looking any where but us.

"Leave the light on." He says simply.

"You're weird." I say just as simply.

"Thanks. When's the card game again?" He asks, looking at Tori curiously.

"Originally Saturday, but Cat asked if we could do it Friday. Her and Robbie have a date Saturday." She says, looking to me for confirmation, checking her facts, earing a nod from me.

"K. I'm curious about your friends. You told me they're an interesting group." He says, heading towards the kitchen. "Anyone thirsty?"

"Water." "Water." "Coffee." Tori, Trina, and I say simultaneously.

"You got it." He responds, grabbing the two waters from the fridge, a coffee cup and glass from the counter.

"You drink way too much coffee." Tori says to me.

"Bite your tongue." I say with fake shock. "Coffee is life."

"Coffee is not life. It just makes people feel alive. There's a difference." Tori says back. I look over at Trina whose trying not to laugh.

"To you, maybe. To me, there is no difference." I counter, smiling at the amused looks on Trina's and Carlos' faces.

"Fight nice children." Carlos says as he gives us our drinks.

"How'd you know how I like my coffee?" I ask him after I take a sip.

"Tori told me earlier today while you and Trina were getting ready." He says, shrugging his shoulders.

"Speaking of Trina." I say, setting my coffee down. "What happened between you two to make Trina stand as still as a statue when you yelled this morning?"

"She told people some secrets of mine to be popular." He says, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"What!?" We jump at Tori's outburst. "Why would you do that, Trina?"

"As I told him, I really don't know. Okay?" Trina says, looking from Tori to Carlos. "Please don't hate me."

"I don't hate you. We had this conversation not six hours ago. Chill." He says, laughing slightly at the end.

"How can you say it like it's not as big a deal?" Tori says, trying not to look at her sister. "She told people your secrets."

"And got me beat up." He says casually, earning shocked looks from Tori and me, and Trina looking away.

"Trina!" Tori yells at her sister, catching us off guard.

"Tori, relax." I say, massaging Tori's shoulders to hopefully calm her down. "He obviously isn't too focused on that now." I say soothingly.

"You actually forgave her for that?" Tori says to her cousin, not believing how calm he seems.

"I put it behind me." He says. "I don't forgive her for it, but she's changed, so I won't hold it against her anymore." He says, looking to Trina to let her know he means it.

"I really am sorry. I can say it enough." Trina says to Carlos, before turning to Tori. "Calm down, baby sis. If anyone has a right to be angry, it's him, and clearly," She says looking to him before turning back to her sister. "He isn't too angry anymore."

"Too much mushy stuff." Carlos says after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence after Trina's done speaking. "Who's ready to watch 'Scatter Shot'?"

"I'm out." "No." Tori and Trina say simultaneously.

"Oh, come on cousins. It's not that bad." He tells them. "How about you, Jade?" He says to me.

"I'm game. What about dinner, though?" I say, grabbing my bag.

"Anyone want pizza?" He asks us?

"Sure." "I guess." "Cool" We say.

"I'll be back. I'm gonna put my stuff in my room and I'll be back down." I say as I head upstairs.

30 minutes later, the pizza gets here. We decided on two pizzas. One pepperoni, the other extra cheese. Tori takes a couple slices of the extra cheese, then heads up to her room to do her homework after giving me a quick kiss, and a warning to 'keep the lights on' as she heads up. Trina grabs a slice of each before heading upstairs, stating that whatever nightmares I have are my fault, no one elses.

Carlos sits after grabbing two slices of pepperoni for himself, handing me the two slices of extra cheese I asked for. before sitting down and stating simply, "Hope you can take the horror like you said." with a twisted smirk on his face that slightly worries me.

**The next chapter will be focused on Jade and Carlos watching the movie. Also, I plan on having Jade/Carlos friendship and Trina/Carlos friendship in this story, which I think some people may have noticed by now, at least with Jade/Carlos. In a few chapters, I'm going to focus more on the Jori romance a bit, which I feel is lacking.**

**Originally, I was planning on going to 15 or 20 chapters with this, but at the rate I'm going, there isn't a set limit anymore.**

**Thank you all for reading, and please review.**


	9. Scatter Shot

**Here's a chapter I've been wanting to write for a while, but didn't know when to put it in until now. If anyone has any guesses as to where I got he name of the killer in 'Scatter Shot' and the boss from, leave them in a review. The names are from popular television shows. Well, popular to me anyway. I won't hint at what shows, but I hope some of you will figure out the inspiration for the name of the boss.**

I watch as Tori and Trina run upstairs, a scared look in their eyes. I give Tori a questioning glance as she turns her head over to me, and she shrugs and continues her trek upstairs.

"Ready for a movie that makes 'The Scissoring' look like a kid's movie?"

I look over to Carlos, who's sitting on the other couch, a slice of pepperoni pizza in front of him on the table. "You do know 'The Scissoring' is my favorite movie, right?"

"I was informed." He says calmly. "And trust me, after 'Scatter Shot', 'The Scissoring' won't be scare at all. It's like watching paint dry to me, just not as entertaining."

"'The Scissoring' is like watching paint dry to you now?" I ask in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. 'Scatter Shot' is a fucked up movie." I watch as he takes a bite of his pizza before pushing play on the DVD remote, starting to movie.

The movie starts off odd, for a supposed horror movie. The camera follows this average looking man, roughly mid-30's with short light brown hair. He steps out of the elevator, briefcase in hand, walking towards a cubicle. Insults are heard by the people he walks by, but he acts like he doesn't hear them. There's nothing worth mentioning really, for at about 10 minutes anyway. After a while, a slightly older guy enters the shot, I'm guessing the boss by how everyone reacts when they see him, and Mr. Boss Man just looks at his employee, not saying or doing anything.

I glance over at Carlos who seems awfully attentive to the scene. He looks relaxed, but his eyes are too focused for a scene like this.

_"Didn't I fire you?" Mr. Boss Man says._

_"Yes, sir." I'm a little shocked at how calm the employee sounds. He's acting like showing up to work after being fired is no big deal._

_"Why are you here, Mr. Winchester?"_

_"Personal reason, Mr. Daniels." 'Mr. Winchester' says casually, typing away on his computer._

_"I will ask you once, Mr. Winchester. Leave now. You have one minute to collect you stuff and get out." The boss says with a hint of anger in his tone._

_"No can do, Mr. Daniels. I was given a message, and I promised to deliver." I watch as Mr. Winchester stops typing and grabs his briefcase from under his desk. The camera switches to behind to boss, hiding what Mr. Winchester is getting from his briefcase._

I glance to Carlos again, wondering why he still so attentive. "It's been like 15 minutes. When do people die?" I ask him. "We don't even see the dude's face? What the hell?"

"Just watch, Jade." He says, turning to me. "I don't know why we never see his face, but it's how the director made it. Maybe he wanted the killer to be faceless." He says as he turns back to the movie. I follow suit as well, watching as Mr. Winchester takes out a mask and puts it over his face, holding a small needle as he turns around towards his boss.

_"Mr. Daniels. Why did you fire me?" Mr. Winchester asks with an oddly casual tone._

_"You were incompetent. You had to go."_

_"What about Lisa?" Winchester says, pointing to a bust blonde a few cubicles away. "She can't even staple two pieces of paper together. Why is she still here? Is it because you've been bending her over your desk after work each day?"_

_"Get out, now, Winchester!"_

_"Better idea." Winchester's tone has me slightly intrigued now. He went from casually calling out his boss, ex-boss I guess, to sounding like you expect a killer to sound. "You never asked about the message. You'd be curious if it was tattooed on Lisa's huge fake tits, but not a loyal employee, huh? Well, I'll tell you, even though you didn't ask." He gets out of his chair and stabs the boss with the needle, injecting the liquid into his veins. "This poison doesn't have a proper name. Within 30 seconds, you'll be paralyzed from the neck down. You fired me to fuck the blonde bimbo, so I'll fire everyone else, my way." I smile at his dark tone. The blonde bimbo tries to run, but Winchester takes a sawed-off shotgun from his briefcase and aims it at her. "Not so fast, Lisa." He says with a surprisingly comforting tone. "I don't want to have to kill you."_

"Still not scary." I say, watching as the blonde freezes in her steps, the fear in her eyes diminishing on the screen.

"Wait." Carlos says, not looking away from the screen.

_"Really?" Blondie asks, slowly walking towards Winchester._

_"Really. I have nothing against you." Winchester says, soothingly. During this little talk, no one notices how Daniels is basically limp against the cubicle beside Winchester. "Come here, Lisa."_

_Lisa slowly walks towards Winchester still, stopping a few feet away. "You won't kill me?"_

_"Of course not." He puts the shotgun down, still keeping a grip on it._

_Lisa takes a few steps until she right in front of him. Winchester takes a step forward and pulls her into a hug, slowly pulling the shotgun up until the barrel is aimed at her side._

_"I should tell you something, Lisa." Winchester says, still using that calm tone he's been using._

_"What's that?" She wraps her arms around him, her head on his right shoulder, the shotgun aimed at her right side._

_"I lie." She turns to him at his cold tone, before a gunshot is heard._

_The people in the office freak out when Lisa drops, a hole in her sides, blood pouring freely out if it._

_"You bastard!"_

_Winchester looks to Daniels, a dark smirk on his face._

"That was predictable." I say in between the shot ant Winchester turning. "It was obvious he was gonna shoot her."

_"I'm the bastard?" Winchester asks. "It's not my fault you can't get pussy without blackmail. You!" He says, turning quickly, looking at some guy that looks like a stereotypical jock, just in a business suit. "Don't run." He says, watching the new guy._

_"Not my son!" The boss says._

_"Knew it. You hired your pathetic son because you knew he couldn't get a job anywhere else." Winchester says, before turning the shotgun onto the boss's son. "You made a huge mistake, Daniels." He keeps the gun aimed at the boss's son as the son tries to carefully get out of range. When Son Daniels gets close to the exit, Winchester pulls the trigger, getting the boss's son in ht chest. He was too far for the gunshot to be considered fatal, but it still hurts I bet._

The rest of the movie goes on like this. Occasionally, the boss will have some kind of comment on the people Winchester goes to kill. A few times, Daniels tries to outsmart Winchester by saying the employee doesn't matter to him, just to get shot in either the leg or arm for his lie, while the employee gets shot in the head at an angle so the blood and brains fly towards the boss.

"Okay, I admit, freakier than 'The Scissoring' and a hell of a lot more bloody, but it's not as bad as you and you're cousins made it out to be." I say, watching as Winchester shoots two people at once, one though the mouth and the other in the back of the head.

"Obviously. I guess your have a higher tolerance for this stuff than I thought." Carlos says with a small smile.

We continue watching for the rest of the movie. Almost two hours after the boss gets injected with the poison, almost everyone in the office is dead. Just Winchester, Daniels, and three others are still standing.

_"Now, Mr. Daniels. Pick one." Winchester says, pointing to the remaining three while reloading the shotgun._

_"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Daniels shouts. "You just killed all of these people, and now you want me to pick another one for you to kill?! Fuck you!"_

_"Pick one, or they all die. You have 20 seconds. If you don't choose, I strap C4 to them all, and blow them all up."_

_15 seconds later, Daniels yells out 'Tanya', and the only woman left gets a worried look on her face, before yelling at her boss for singling her out._

_"I'm surprised you chose her. Don't you hate her?" Winchester says, aiming the shotgun at one of the men around Tanya. "I should have mentioned this before. Whoever you call out, is the only one to live." He pulls the trigger, killing the no named guy while the three remaining people freak out. "Go on, Tanya. You're free." He says as he kills the other guy, leaving Tanya, the boss, and himself._

_"Why?" She says in a barely audible voice, shaking in fear._

_"You were the only one nice to me, so I'm returning the favor." Winchester says in a soothing tone. He watches as she runs to the elevator, while the boss yells at her to save him. She turns around as the doors close, and all Winchester does is wave at her, a smile evident on his face though his mask. As the door closes, Winchester turns back to his ex-boss. "Where were we? Oh, I remember."_

_"Leave me alone you freak." Daniels says, his eyes wide in terror._

_"I'd like to, but I don't. So, here's the deal. You're gonna call the cops and report a mass murder at the office. Tell them I'm here, and I kill you. Understood?" He asks while he takes one of the office phones and dials the police holding the phone to Boss's ear after putting it on speaker._

_"There's been a murder." Daniels says after the woman on the other end of the phone says N.Y.P.D. How may we be of service._

_"Where at sir?" She asks, a serious business tone in her voice. After he gives her the address, he looks at Winchester, seeing the look on his face, he remembers what he was told to say before the number was dialed. "Hurry, everyone has been killed. Over 30 people were killed."_

_"Good." Winchester says after hanging up the phone. "That wasn't so hard." Not giving Daniels a chance to say anything, Winchester pulls a Glock out from his jacket, shooting Daniels 6 times. Twice between the eyes, twice in the heart, and twice in his temples, one in each side. "Pathetic." He says as the camera goes behind him again as he takes the mask off, then putting the gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger._

"Okay. Why did he kill himself?" I ask as the end credits roll.

"Well, I'll answer your question with a question of my own." Carlos answers as he takes the disc out and puts it back in the case. "Do you think there will be a sequel?"

"How? The killer just killed himself. The only survivor probably has to go to therapy." I say as he sets the DVD case down, grabbing out plates and takes them to the kitchen. I follow suit, grabbing the pizza boxes to put them in the fridge and get a cup of coffee.

"Well. Look at the 'Saw' franchise. Some of Jigsaw's survivors ended up joining him. It goes to show that survivors can sometimes take after the killer." He says with a shrug of his shoulders, pouring himself a glass of Mountain Dew.

"True." I acknowledge and take a sip of my coffee. "Wait." I say suddenly. "You asked about the sequel as if you knew there was one. When did this movie come out?" I say accusingly.

"Late 2011." He says, taking a sip of his soda. "And you're right. There is a sequel. In the works anyway." He says with a shrug.

"The names sound familiar for some reason." I say, mainly to myself, after a few minutes of silence. "Where'd the come up with the names?" I ask him as I put my now empty coffee cup in the sink and start washing it.

"Tanya is the name of the director. I won't tell you the names of the other two." He says with a smirk. "Not now anyway." I carefully watch him as he puts his now empty cup in the sink to wash it. "Go up to Tori. I'm sure she'd like to know you passed the test."

I start walking to the stairs, stopping when the last of his sentence clicks in my head.

"What. Test?" I say darkly.

"You passed my test. You managed to watch 'Scatter Shot' without pissing yourself. You have my respect." He says as he washes his cup.

"Does Tori know about the test?" I say just as darkly as before, watching him.

"Nope. Trina does though."

"TRINA!" I yell hearing a small scream, followed by two pair of running footsteps. A minute later, Tori and Trina walk down the stairs, Trina hiding behind Tori. "You knew it was a TEST!?"

"I'm sorry! He asked me not to tell you." She says, cowering behind her clueless sister.

"What test?" Tori asks, pushing Trina away before walking down the steps to me.

"Your cousin was testing me." I say, still angry, but calmer with Tori so close.

"Carlos!" I smile at how angry she sounds. "What the hell?"

"What'd I do?" Tori and I give him shocked looks. I see Trina try to head back upstairs, but I stop her with a glare.

"What did you do? You tested my girlfriend!"

"Little Star, chill out. Let me explain why I..."

"Don't 'Little Star' me!" I'm shocked at her yelling at him, but even more shocked at how calm he looks. My shock diminishes slightly as I see his eyes are wide in surprise, so that makes me feel better.

"I'm sorry. Okay? I remember you telling me about how mean she was to you in the past, and I wanted to test her with a horror movie that's banned in 20 states."

"Why?" Tori says in a tone that almost rivals mine.

"I didn't trust her before. I saw how you two looked at each other as you went upstairs before the movie, and I knew you told her something earlier. What, I don't know. But the look in her eyes told me that she was essentially doing this for you. So, I tested her. I figured if she could watch it so casually, then she would have my respect because she'd be able to be there for you. That's how I see it anyway."

Tori and I look at each other, out anger disappearing slowly.

"What do you mean, she passed then?" Tori says, her tone quiet and her eyes closed.

"She barely reacted. She made comments that showed that she was able to notice small things." He says, looking from her to me. "You noticed things that the crew didn't notice. Just the director. I didn't even notice them my first time watching it." He says, serious.

"Don't do it again, Carlos." Tori says, sadness in her voice.

"I promise. Now, Dark Gem." He says, his tone going from cautious to slightly relaxed, earning shocked looks from Tori and me. "Which movie was better? 'The Scissoring' or 'Scatter Shot'?"

"'Dark Gem'?" I ask, looking to a just as confused Tori.

"Nickname I'm trying out for you. Is it bad?"

"Little bit. To answer your question. 'The Scissoring' is still better. it wasn't straight forward like 'Scatter Shot' was." I say, meaning every word I say.

"What do you mean, 'straight forward'?" He asks. Not angry, just curious.

"'Scatter Shot' was just an angry ex-employee killing everyone who wronged him. 'The Scissoring' was of a girl who kills her best friends for using her." I say, simply. "Besides, Winchester was kind of plain, Tawni Walker Black is just awesome."

"I can live with that." He says, shrugging his shoulders. "I truly am sorry about testing her." He says to Tori. "Now, go do whatever. I have a job offer to think about." Tori and I watch as he turns his attention back to the front, sending us a small smile and wave as he turns around.

**Sorry for the length and for not going into detail about the movie. The next chapter will focus on Tori and Jade talking in Tori's room after the movie. To let you guys know a few things I have planned for this story; Mr. West will attempt something not as bad as what he did you Jade in 'New Beginning' and get caught. Ryder will get hurt by two people close to Tori and Jade. And one person will be hospitalized. I won't say who.**

**Thank you for reading and please review. I'm gonna start to continue my story 'Church Confessions' for anyone who is curious. It was originally a one-shot, but I'm turning it into a collection of one-shots focused around Jade and Tori confessing certain things to one another at different places or moments. The name will be changed to 'Confessions' when I post the next one-shot, which won't be until at least next week.**


	10. After The Movie

Tori and I go to her room to work on homework. It's just after 6, so that gives us a few hours to work, which may not be needed because there isn't much to work on. It doesn't take us long, maybe an hour or so, to finish everything. All we had was math, science, and history to do. She has a song to work on with André, but it's not due for another week, and André can write 10 albums worth of songs in that time frame, so no worries. Other than that, I have a script to work on for my Script Writing class, but it's almost done, so I can put it off for a night comfortably.

"I'm sorry about Carlos."

"For what?" I ask as we put our homework away. "His test? Don't worry about it."

"Of course I'm gonna worry. He tested you to see if he could trust you." She says, plopping on her bed, looking upset.

"Tori, it's okay. He was worried I'd hurt you again or something because of our past. It's no one's fault." I say soothingly, slowly walking towards her.

"I'm upset at him though." She says with a sigh as I take a seat beside her. "I feel like he doesn't trust me."

"He does trust you. Okay? Come on, we haven't spent time, just the two of us, together in a while. I want to spend it not talking about anyone but us. Okay?" I say, turning her head to face me.

"Yeah." She says with a smile. "How was the movie?" She asks, slight fear in her eyes.

"Bloodier than 'The Scissoring' but not as entertaining." I say with a shrug. "I thought you were gonna work on your homework during the movie?" I ask her.

Ttechnically I did. André and I video chatted and worked on the lyrics and part of the melody. We're meeting during lunch to finish it."

"At least it went better than the last time you did homework over video chat." I say, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah. We failed, just so you know." She says with a faux glare at me. "Although, on the bright side, I met Perez Hilton. That was kind of fun." She says, shrugging her shoulders as she leans on my shoulder.

"You make it sound like it's my fault you failed." I say after a moment of comfortable silence.

"You ended the chat so you and Beck could do whatever." She says, turning her head slightly to face me. "What'd you two do, anyway?" She asks, hesitant.

"Nothing bad, relax." I say, laughing at how she looks. "We talked for a bit about why he didn't tell me the cheerleader was only 8."

"And by 'talk' I'm guessing 'argued'?" She says, turning away from me.

"No, Tori." I say, pulling her face towards me carefully. "We actually talked. I was mad at first, but he explained it was because apparently the dog and kid don't like arguing and it was short notice. He didn't want to call me and risk freaking out the dog or something. I forgave him." I say, a smile on my face as I tell her the story.

"Do you miss being with Beck?" She asks, catching me off guard.

"Not really." I say honestly. "It hasn't been the same between us since you helped us get back that day." I say, a look of remembrance on my face.

"Is that a bad thing?" She asks, shifting so she can face me comfortably.

"Not really. The final breakup was a wake up call."

"What do you mean?"

"Out of everyone, you were the only one that tried to help." I say, smiling at how red her cheeks become. "Since then, you did whatever you could to help. I started liking you because of it."

"So why treat me like crap if you were starting to like me?"

"It was a change I wasn't comfortable with." I say, shrugging my shoulders.

"So you started to like me, but you were still a gank. I feel the love." She says, feigning anger.

"Oh, shush you." I say, laughing and nudging her shoulder. "You know you still loved me when I was a gank to you."

"True." She says, shyly, avoiding my gaze.

"Wait." I say upon noticing her reaction. "Did you love me, regardless of my treating you like shit?"

"Yeah." She says, looking down at her hands, which are resting on her lap. "Since you and Beck first broke up. When I saw how you behaved after you broke up with him, and that you came to me for help, even when hating me, showed that you weren't as black-hearted as you led me to believe." She says, looking directly in my eyes.

"Damn. Didn't expect that." I say, sighing at how shy she looks. "That's why you took my shit for so long, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Andre realized it, and that's why we became so close. He talked me through it so I didn't give up. Things got awkward when he wrote '365 Days'." She stops suddenly, eyes wide in slight fear. "I shouldn't have said that. Forget you heard that." She says, turning to me.

"Why?" I say, suddenly curious as to why she's so worried. "Why is him writing '365 Days' such a big deal."

"Well, uh, you see." She starts, before stuttering somewhat. "He wrote it for you." She says quietly, avoiding my eyes again.

"So why did you help him if you liked me as more than a friend at the time, and he knew it?" I say, confused.

"That's why it was awkward. I tried to get him out of it, and he knew why, but it didn't work. I helped him hoping he would get over it." She says, shrugging again before continuing. "There were no hard feelings between us during or after it." She says, laying down, placing her head on my lap.

"Comfortable?" I say jokingly. "Who knew André had a crush on me? How did I not see that?" I say with a laugh while stoking her hair. "Is that why he was so awkward after the performance?"

"Yep." She says, sitting up. "I'm gonna go grab some more pizza. Want some?"

"Sure. I'll head down with you, I need more coffee." I say, getting up with her.

We both walk downstairs, not seeing anyone. We walk to the kitchen, grabbing our pizza, Tori heading over to grab a coffee cup for me and a glass for herself. She hands me the coffee cup before grabbing the pink lemonade from the fridge. I make my coffee, taking a sip as she pours her lemonade. "You gonna take the photography class now?" I ask as we head back upstairs.

"You make it sound like he already took the job." She says, letting me go up first. "I don't know, maybe. You?"

"Thinking about it. It'll help with becoming a producer, so probably. And I think he will." I say as we walk up. "Enjoying the view?" I say tauntingly when I notice her eyes shifting downwards as I go up.

"Maybe." She says with a sly smile. "I'm thinking about taking the class. Helen said the student count is low for that class. It sounds fun." She says, nodding as she does.

"Sorry to interrupt." We stop when we hear a voice, looking up to see Carlos in front of Tori's room, hand going down like he was about to knock. "Can you tell Helen I accept and that I'll be there early Monday to set up?" He says, turning to face us.

"Told ya." I say as Tori says 'Sure'.

"Told who what?" He says, confused.

"I knew you'd accept, and I told Tori that." I say smugly.

"Shut up." Tori says, a slight moan in her voice.

"Ooh, I love it when you moan for me." I say seductively in her ear, loud enough for Carlos to hear,

"I don't need to hear that!" He says, rushing to his room, his hands over his ears.

"Did you have to do that?" She asks as we continue walking to her room. "I think you scared my cousin."

"What? It was funny and you know it." I say, sitting on her bed as she closes it.

"I don't want to hear anything sex-related!" We both jump when we hear Trina outside of Tori's door.

"No promises!" I yell back, earning a hit to my shoulder from Tori.

"Relax, Trina." Tori says, opening the door, revealing her sister with a shocked look on her face. "We're just talking."

"Well, I think you broke Carlos." Trina says, going back to her room.

"How did we break Carlos?!" I yell as she walks away.

"He's listening to Evanescence." Trina states, sticking her head out of the doorway. "He doesn't listen to them on full volume with headphones unless he's trying to ignore something." She finishes, closing the door after pulling her head back in.

"Aw, man." Tori says, closing her door. "I think you broke Carlos." She says, sitting on her bed beside me.

"How is it my fault?" I ask, surprised.

"You just had to say 'I love it when you moan' for him to hear?"

"Sorry." I say, hugging her close. "I'll apologize later." I take a bite of my half-finished pizza, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Good." She says, taking a bite of her pizza as well. "And if you tell him I was involved, I hurt you." She says, a threatening glare while sipping her lemonade.

"Oh? How will you hurt me?" I ask, setting the rest of my pizza on her bed-side table.

"You'll see." She says, confidently.

We sit in another comfortable silence for a few minutes, finishing our pizza and drinks. After a while, I notice how tired she looks, and suggest that we head to bed, which she agrees to. I head out of her room, going to mine to get ready for bed. I change into pajamas and get to bed, checking my phone for text messages or missed calls, seeing only one from Cat. Apparently, she had another dream where Robbie didn't help her or something and she needed help. I sent her a text back saying Tori and I will talk to her in the morning at school, earing a 'KK' from Cat before I head to bed.

Before I go to bed, I head over to Tori to wish her a goodnight, something I started doing when I moved in with the Vega's.

"Night, Tori." I say, slipping my head into her room, watching as she lays down to sleep.

"Night, Jade." She says, getting out of bed and giving me a tight hug and a passionate kiss. "I love you, Jade." She says, placing her forehead on mine.

"I love you too, Tori." I say, giving her another kiss. "See ya in the morning." I say, watching her head to her bed to sleep again.

**I know it might be a weird place to end it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Next chapter will jump to the Saturday poker game. I've never played poker, so I don't know the rules. I've only ever played Blackjack and 31. I may have them play 31 since I'm most familiar with it. Things start to get bad in the chapter after the card game, which will be during the first photography class. I don't know much about photography, so I won't go into details about what they learn.**

**Please read and review please.**


	11. The Card Game

The next few days go by slowly. Cat explained her dream, and apologized to me for calling her. I told her it was okay, and she just clapped and walked away. I worry about her sometimes.

Saturday rolls around quickly, nothing interesting going on during school. Sikowitz is his usual self, and surprisingly, hasn't asked us to do any crazy drive-by acting exercises.

All through Saturday morning, Tori and I spend time alone together. Carlos went to Hollywood Arts to set up his classroom, and Trina went to talk to someone. She wouldn't tell us who, just something she wants to work on. Whatever that means. Finally, around 6:30, everyone starts to arrive.

"Hey chicas." André says as Tori lets him in, Beck following behind, giving Tori and me a wave.

"Hey André, Beck!" Tori says, hugging them both at the same time. "How are you guys?"

"The same as we were yesterday." Beck says, laughing at Tori's reaction when he walked in.

"Sorry. I'm just so excited. This is the first Saturday Night card game we've done in a long time. It feels good to have everyone together again."

"Chill, Tori." I say, walking up behind her. "You're acting like you never see them."

"Sorry." She says, ducking her head.

"It's okay." I say, hugging her.

"Hi hi!" We all turn towards the still open door, seeing Cat and Robbie walk in, hand in hand. "Ooh, hugging!" Cat yells, crushing Tori and me in a bone crushing hug.

"Car, release." Robbie says, prying Cat's hands off of us. "You're gonna crush them."

"KK!" She says, letting us go.

"Where's that cousin of yours, Tori?" André says after Cat releases us.

"Out. He went to get some last minute soda and pink lemonade." Tori says, leading us into the kitchen to finish setting up the card table.

"What about Trina?" Cat asks, pulling a small bag of candy out of her pocket.

"She'll be here." I say, waving the question off. "Cat?" I ask when I notice what the candy looks like. "That wouldn't happen to be bibble, would it?" I say, sounding like a stern parent.

"No." She answers quickly, hiding the bag behind her.

"Give it." I say, holding my hand out.

"No!" She yells back, running and hiding behind André and Beck.

"Catarina Valentine! You know you are not allowed to have bibble!" I say, running over to her, working my way around the guys.

It turns into a game of cat and mouse as I chase Cat around the downstairs. A few minutes later, a still energetic Cat runs behind Carlos, who I didn't even notice walked in.

"Why is there a tiny redhead using me as a human shield?" He asks, setting the soda and lemonade down on the living room table.

"Carlos, meet Cat. Cat, meet Carlos." Tori says, walking towards them, carefully pulling Cat away, letting her know she's safe.

"Evening, Cat." Carlos says, holding his hand out for a handshake.

"Are you her weird cousin?" Cat asks innocently.

"Yep." He says, before continuing. "I'm not too bad though." He adds, shrugging his shoulders.

"KK!" She says before crushing him in a hug. I start laughing when he starts tapping her shoulder, his face turning a slight red.

"What's with the tapping on her shoulder?" Robbie asks, trying to pry Cat off.

"It's what the do in the UFC and WWE when locked in a submission move to get out before there's any lasting damage." Beck says, before him and André head over to help.

"How can someone so small have that tight a grip?" Carlos asks while trying to catch his breath.

"She's tough." I say. "Now, cards. Let's move." I say, turning around.

"Yay!" "Cool." "Sounds like a plan." "Awesome." Cat, André, Beck, and Robbie say as the follow me to the kitchen.

"Where's Trina?" Tori asks as she takes the seat beside me.

"Waiting on everyone else." Trina says, appearing from the garage.

"Why were you hiding?" I ask as she takes a seat across from Tori.

"Fashionably late." She says in a dive-like tone.

"You're five minutes early." Carlos says, looking at his watch.

"Who took my bibble?" Cat asks, catching us off guard with her random question.

"I did." "What's bibble?" I say as Carlos asks.

"Jade, giver her back her bibble." Tori says to me. "It's a British snack she got into when I opened the Platinum Music Awards." She finishes, facing her cousin.

"I will not give it back. You know how she gets." I say, keeping a firm hold on the small bag.

"How does she get?" Carlos asks, looking around to all of us.

"You don't want to know." Tori says, grabbing a deck of cards and shuffling them.

"I'll take your word on that." He says. I look around the table, laughing silently at everyone's reaction. From my left is Tori, then André, Beck, Robbie, Cat, Trina, and Carlos. Everyone's faces range from understanding to confused. Well, Carlos is confused, the others are understanding.

"What game are we playing?" Beck asks, watching Cat eye the bibble in my hands.

"Ever hear of '31'?" Carlos asks, walking over to the cabinet above the fridge.

The rest of us look around at each other, faces unsure.

"What?" Cat asks in her usual confused voice.

"Think blackjack but with three cards instead of two." Carlos starts, grabbing a small bag from the cabinet before closing it, heading back to the table and sitting down. "The cards must be the same suit. May I?" He adds, holding his hand to the cards in Tori's hand.

"Sure." She says, placing them in his hand. "I'll grab the candy."

"Different idea?" Carlos says, stopping her from getting up. We watch as she takes out chocolate coins from the bag, handing each of us three fake coins. "We use these. You loose a hand, place the coin in the pot. You run out of coins, you get a freebie, meaning essentially you have four tries. Sound better than using M&Ms as poker chips in my opinion." He says, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sure." "I guess." "Could work." "Candy!" Everyone says, jumping at Cat's yell at the end.

"Let's play then." Carlos says, tossing each of us our three cards. I look at mine and smile, a 10 of hearts, 9 of diamonds, and 7 of hearts.

"Wait." Cat says, catching our attention. "Do we exchange cards or what?"

"Sorry. Knew I forgot something." Carlos says, setting his cards face down. "On your turn, you grab a card from either the top of the deck," He says, indicating the deck of cards in the middle of the table. "or the pile," He indicates the face up three of clubs by the deck. "and if you can use it for your hand, you keep it and set one from your hand that won't be of value. You get 31 or under it and your satisfied, you knock on the table." He says, tapping the table with his knuckles to show what he means. "After that, wait for it to be your turn again, and each player shows their cards. Whoever has the lowest pays the pot. Game goes on until only one player has any coins left. Winner takes the pot. Any more questions?" He asks, making sure everyone gets it.

"I do." Cat says, curious. "Can I have my bibble now?"

"No, Cat. Stop asking." I say.

"Phooey."

The rest of the night goes well. A couple of hours later, and most of the chocolate coins in my possession, we decide that the current game will be the last. Tori's on her last coin, Trina and Carlos on freebie, and Robbie, André ane Beck are out. A few hands later, it's down to Tori and me. Trina lost with 15 to my 28, and Carlos went out shortly after with 25 to Tori's 30. I laughed at Tori having a better hand than Carlos, just for him to go 'Yeah yeah, I lost. I'll live. Kick her butt, Little Star.'

"Little Star?" André asks, looking between the Vega's and me. "Who's 'Little Star'?"

"That's the nickname I gave Tori when we were younger. Trina's 'Starburst' and Jade is 'Dark Gem', but she doesn't seem to like it." Carlos states, looking at us as he explains.

"I want a nickname!" Cat yells, causing Robbie to jump slightly, being the unfortunate one to get it right in his ear.

"Um? Okay?" Carlos starts as I shuffle the cards. "Well, let's see. You're energetic, red hair. How about Flare Burst?"

We all look at him, giving him odd looks. I hand Tori and me our cards before asking. "Why 'Flare Burst'?"

"She reminds me of a flare. Small, energetic, underestimated by those unaware. That and her red hair reminds me of fire." He answers, looking to the rest of us. "What?"

"We want nicknames now." Robbie states, pointing to Beck and André before pointing to himself.

"That's more complicated." Carlos states as Tori and I start the game, paying attention to the conversation. "I'll have to get back to you guys."

"Can we stop talking about nicknames now?" I chime in, as Tori takes a card off the top of the deck.

"Oh, cool your chizz 'Dark Gem.'" Andre says with a laugh, stopping when he notices me glaring at him. "It's not too bad a nickname." He says quietly, pulling his chair closer to Beck.

"Shut it Harris." I growl, grabbing the 3 of hearts Tori just set down. "What?" I ask when everyone minus Cat gives me odd looks. "I have a plan."

"Fight nice, Jade." Tori says, grabbing another card off the deck.

"Do you see my scissors?" I ask, a smug smile on my face.

"No. And if you pull them out, I'll tell Carlos about the time in Beck's RV." She says, her smile just as smug as mine.

"Never speak of it!" I yell, earning laughter from the gang, and confusement from Carlos.

"I don't wanna know." He says, grabbing the bag of bibble from in front of me, setting it in front of Cat.

"Dude!" I yell, while Beck and André try to grab the small bag from Cat. "You're dealing with the consequences."

"What consequences?" "Bibble!" Carlos and Cat say simultaneously.

"Those. Ha! You're on your freebie babe." I say, laying my hand down, revealing 31 in clubs.

"Aww man." Tori says, placing her cards down, revealing her 23 hearts.

"Let's make the last hand fun." Beck says, causing all of us to look at him, me skeptically. "Winner take all. All coins in the middle, best hand wins."

"Deal." I say smugly, turning to Tori. "What do you think, babe? It's not like you have anything to lose."

"Fine. But let's up the ante." She says, smiling deviously.

"Oh?" I say, curious.

"Oh, no." Carlos says, looking to Tori. "What are you planning?"

"Let's add a bet. Loser is the winner's pet for a week." Tori says, leaning towards me.

"I'm game." I watch as Tori shuffles the cards then hands them out. "Just remember Tori, you asked for it."

"Just go, West." She counters, her smug smile still standing.

The game goes on for a few hands. When I pick up the Queen of Spades, making my total 28 after laying down a 7 of spades, I smile.

Tori's face remains impassive, but her eyes grow wide when she picks from the deck. On my turn, I knock, smiling slightly when she looks upset. She draws again, laying the card she just drew down, revealing it to be a 5 of clubs.

I lay down my 28, waiting for fer to lay down her cards.

Everyone else gasps at her hand.

Sorry for the cliffhanger. Who wants to take a guess as to what Tori's hand is? Also, should Carlos give the guys a nickname?

Thank you for reading and the reviews.

**Also, to those following my set of one-shots, 'Confessions', I ended 'ABC Improve Confessions' that way for a reason. That particular one-shot is the first of three. The second will dive into the friendship. I don't know if I want the third to stay friendship, or go into relationship. Just thought I'd clear that up.**


	12. The Winning Hand

30. Tori has 30.

How did I lose? Why didn't she knock? Oh, crap, I'm her pet for a week. Shit shit shit. How did I not see that coming?

"Jadey's a puppy!" I look over to Cat, a scowl on my face. "Whatey?" She asks, noticing the glare.

"Don't worry Jade. I'll go easy on you." Tori says, patting my head like I am a puppy. "It's okay. You are my puppy while at home, I won't make you do anything during school."

"When does this bet start?" Beck asks, giving André a quick kiss.

"How come no one told me there was another gay couple? Congrats guys." Carlos says, turning from Tori and I to André and Beck, patting them on the shoulder as he does. "He's got a point. The bet is just 'pet for a week'. No explanation on when the week starts."

"How about now?" Everyone turns to face Robbie, I glare at him while everyone else gives him stunned looks. "What?"

"I like it." Tori says, turning to face me as she does. "SIt." She says, pointing to the floor as she does.

"Not happening." I say, shaking my head.

"Don't make me get the paper." Tori says, narrowing her eyes.

"Not working babe." I say, staying firm.

"Fine then." I watch as she gets up and grabs the paper from the kitchen counter that she bought earlier for her dad. I watch cautiously as she rolls it up, walking back to me. "Last chance." She says, leaning down, face to face to me.

"Nope." I say, not moving.

"You asked for it." I watch her as she picks up the paper, swinging it down swiftly, tapping the top of my head with enough force to feel, but not enough to hurt. "Down, Jadelyn." She says, firmly.

"Did you just..."

"Ah. Dog's don't talk." Tori says, interrupting me. "Isn't that what you said on my first day?"

I give her a slight scowl as I get off the chair, getting down on all fours like dog, letting a low growl out as I sit by her.

"Good girl." Tori says, petting my head.

"Ooh, does she know any tricks?" Cat asks, getting off of her chair to pet me.

"Let's see." Tori says, leaning down to face me. "Jadelyn, lie down."

I don't move, I just sit there, glaring at her.

"If you want, I could go out and buy a shock collar?" Carlos asks, bending down by Cat, petting me as well. I look up and see Beck and André trying not to laugh, and Robbie seems to have disappeared. Good.

"No. I'll get her to lie down eventually." Tori says, giving the top of my chest a rub. I gotta admit, it feels good. "What time is it?" She asks, still rubbing me.

"Almost nine. We should go." André says, giving Tori a quick hug. "Nice meeting you Carlos." He says, giving Carlos a handshake, before leaning down to pet me. "Be a good girl Jade." I snap at his hand, intending to bite it, but he pulls his hand away before I could.

"Ah!" Tori yells, tapping my head with the rolled up newspaper again. "No biting."

"Let's go, Cat." Beck says, carefully pulling Cat away from me. "You might need to get her a rabies shot." Beck says jokingly to Tori as him and André lead Cat out of the Vega house. "Tell Robbie we'll be outside waiting." He says with a wave.

"Where'd Robbie go?" Tori asks, starting to rub my chest again. Damn, she's good at that.

"Went to the bathroom." Beck says, closing the door behind him.

"I wonder if Jade likes 'Beggin' Strips'." Carlos says, looking to his cousin.

"Don't know. I don't even know if she like's bacon. She didn't eat it when I made if for breakfast a while ago." Tori says, leading me over to the couch.

"Where'd everyone go?" We turn around to see Robbie at the bottom of the stairs, watching us carefully.

"Just left. They're waiting for you outside." Trina says, plopping down beside Tori. "Is she allowed on the couch?" She asks Tori, watching me out of the corner of her eye as Robbie waves goodbye and leaves.

"I'll think about it." Tori says, petting the top of my head. "Hey Carlos?" She asks, turning to face him.

"What's up Little Star?" He asks, laughing lightly at me growling towards Trina.

"Can you get Jade a water bowl? She looks thirsty." Tori answers, sliding off the couch to sit against it, giving herself easier access to pet me.

I don't register what she asked until I see Carlos put a bowl of water by the couch.

What have I gotten myself into?

**I know it's a little shorter than the other chapters, but I wanted to end the night to set up for the day after. The next chapter will follow Jade on her first full day as a dog. She won't be eating dog food or dog snacks. I just wanted to put the comment about 'Beggin' Strips' in because every dog I've had seems to love them. Also, Mr. Vega returns next chapter, and the person who will be in the hospital makes an appearance. Also, a quick referance. Jade is her as herself, and Jadelyn is when she's a dog. Just getting that out there in case anyone gets confused over the next few chapters.**

**Thank you for reading and I posted a new story. It's a crossover between iCarly and VicTORIous. All I'll say for now is that it's a Cat and Freddie story.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviews and leaves their thoughts. I appreciate it.**


	13. Sunday Dog Days

**Tori POV**

Sunday morning rolls around, and I laugh slightly at what I see as I wake up.

Jade West sleeping at the edge of my bed like a dog. Excuse me, Jadelyn, sleeping at the edge of my bed.

Being careful not to wake her, I slowly get out of bed and head towards my bathroom. I pass on a shower for now, and quickly wash my face and brush my teeth after going to the bathroom and washing my hands. I step out, smiling at Jadelyn sleeping in an almost coiled up form.

"Jadelyn, off the bed." I say firmly, standing a few feet away. When she doesn't move, I try another tactic. Heading back to my bathroom, I grab a small spray bottle filled with water, prepared the night before by Trina, and stand slightly closer than last time. "Jadelyn, up." I say, spraying the bottle.

"What the hell!" She yells as she falls off of the bed.

"Ah. Dogs don't talk." I say, a smug smile on my face. My smile widens slightly when she actually climbs off the bed, remaining on all fours, then facing me, a low growl emanating from her mouth. "Be a good girl, and I promise you give you a bath later."

"Arf." She says, not sounding like a dog at all.

"Get into character, or you're sleeping in Trina's room next." I threaten, holding the spray bottle at my side.

I smile again when she whines, eyes widening in slight fear. "Good girl." I say, patting her head. "Let's go get breakfast. Do you need to go to the bathroom? Bark for yes, whine for no."

"Bark." I smile at the fact that she sounds a bit more like a dog.

"Fine. I'll wait here. You can be yourself, but when you open the door, you become a dog again." I say firmly, watching as she stands up and shakes her head in agreement.

"Enjoy it while it last, Tori." She says as she heads to the bathroom. "Because the minute the week is up, my turn." She says, a devious look in her eyes as she closes the door behind her.

"Oh crap." I say as I sit on my bed, waiting for Jade. "I'm doomed."

"Why are you doomed?" I jump slightly as I turn around, seeing Trina standing in my doorway. When did she open the door?

"I let Jade go to the bathroom as herself instead of a dog and she basically warned me that her revenge is coming as soon as the bet is done." I say, falling backwards onto my bed.

"Sorry, sis." She says, genuinely concerned, by how she sounds. "My advice? Keep a can of mace with you at all times."

"Won't work." This time we both jump at Jade's voice.

"Jadelyn, sit." Trina says, remembering me telling our friends that 'Jadelyn' is her dog name before they left.

"Only I can give her commands." I say, turning from Jade to Trina, then back to Jade. "Sit, Jadelyn." She growls slightly as she gets down on all fours again, glaring at Trina. "Trina, go downstairs. I think Jadelyn wants to use you as a chew toy." I say as a warning, laughing when Trina's eyes widen in terror after I finish talking, no doubt picturing what I just said.

"See ya downstairs, sis." She says, turning around and heading out my door.

"That was fun." I say to myself, turning to face Jadelyn again. "Let's go girl. Let's get you some breakfast." I say, leading her out the door and down stairs. I freeze slightly at what I see.

My father is sitting on the couch, talking to Carlos.

"Hey, Tori. How was your week?" My dad asks, turning to face me before freezing when he sees Jade on all fours beside me.

"Good. Did Carlos tell you he's the new photography teacher at Hollywood Arts?" I say, not saying anything about Jade, who has been following me since we left my room.

"Yeah, he was just telling me." My dad answers slowly, unsure of what's going on. "Um, sweetie?" He asks as I grab two bowls out of the cabinet.

"Yeah, dad?" I ask, grabbing the Froot Loops from beside the fridge. "What's up?"

"Why is your girlfriend acting like a dog?" He asks, trying not to laugh.

"We made a bet that whoever would lost the card game last night had to be the winner's dog for a week." I say with a smile, pouring the cereal into both bowls before grabbing two spoons and the milk from the fridge. "You can be Jade while you eat and use the bathroom, as well as at school, but all other times, you're Jadelyn." I say to Jade, carrying both bowls into the living room, sitting on the opposite couch that my dad and cousin are sitting on.

"And you won?" My dad says with a tone of disbelief.

"Yes, I won." I say, giving him and odd look as I take a bite of cereal. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, usually, Jade wins." My dad says, indicating Jade, who is slowly eating her cereal, prolonging her time.

"Well, I beat her last night." I say with a shrug of my shoulders, taking another bite of cereal.

"Like I said, enjoy it while it lasts." Jade says, a dark smile on her face as she eats her cereal.

"Could be worse." Carlos says, a smirk of his own.

"How's that?" Jade asks.

"I could've bought a shock collar while I was out shopping this morning." He says, picking up a bag from PetCo that I didn't notice. "Here." He says, handing me the bag.

I open it up and laugh at what's inside. There is a black dog collar, obviously for a larger dog. A black leash, close to 10 feet in length. A dog tag that says 'Jadelyn', as well as our address.

"Perfect." I say, taking the three items out, eyeing Jade with a smirk. "Don't fight." I say, undoing the collar to put in on her.

"No. Not happening." She says, setting the bowl of cereal down, eyes slightly wide in terror.

"Do it, or I tell everyone in school about this." I say, slowly walking towards her, collar in one hand, tag in the other.

"You wouldn't." She says, a knowing look on her face.

"I would." Carlos says, adding his two cents. "And you know it too, don't you?" He asks, laughing slightly at Jade's reaction.

"Fine." She says, putting the collar on herself. I walk up, putting the tag on, then walking back to the bag to grab the leash. "What are you doing?" She asks in a low whisper.

"Putting you on a leash. Don't want you running off." I say, seductively walking towards her.

"Why is Jade wearing a collar?" Jade and I jump at Trina's voice. Dang, I'm jumpy this morning.

"Part of the bet, apparently." My dad says, laughing at Jade's angry look. "Sorry, Jade. But this is funny."

"Let's just get this over with. At least it's just us." She says, moving her hair out of the way for me to hook up the leash.

"I guess it's a bad time to say that the rest of the gang are coming over soon." Trina says, carefully walking towards our dad.

"WHAT!?" Jade yells, making Trina and me jump. "When?" She asks in a low growl.

"Jadelyn, sit." I say as a knock is heard from the front door.

"I got it." Trina says, rushing away from an angry Jade, as Jade gets on all fours yet again.

"Puppy!" Cat yells, pushing Trina out of the way. I look up to see Robbie, Beck, and André follow behind. "Ooh, Carlos. Can I have bibble?" She asks, abandoning Jadelyn momentarily.

"Uh? I gue..."

"Nope." André says, placing his hand over Carlos' mouth, shutting him up. "Sorry Cat. No bibble." He says to Cat, who turns her attention back to Jadelyn.

"Phooey." She says, rubbing Jadelyn's back.

"Sorry, Flare Burst. Wish I could help." Carlos says after André releases his mouth. "I'll be back." He says, tone suggesting he's thinking something bad.

"What?" I asks, worried. I watch him head into the kitchen, grabbing a plate from the top of the fridge with a few strips of bacon on it.

"Here Jadelyn." He says, holding a piece by her, causing all of us to laugh when she bites it. "I can't believe you just ate a 'Beggin' Strip'." He says, laughing.

"WHAT!?" Jade says, standing up and glaring at Carlos.

"Kidding. It's just bacon. Uncle David saw me cook it earlier while you girls were still asleep. I couldn't resist." He says, laughing as he sits back on the couch.

"Mr. Tori's dad?" Cat asks, still petting Jade who has gotten back on her hands in knees. "Can I have bibble?"

"Sorry, Cat. No can do." My dad says in a gentle tone.

"KK." She says, a little sad.

"I am so weak." We hear Carlos say under his breath, getting up and grabbing a small bag from the kitchen. We all get worried, thinking he's giving her bibble, but he hands her a small bag of M&Ms instead. "Will these do?" He asks, leaning down in front of Cat and Jadelyn.

"Candy!" She yells in return, grabbing the bag and hiding by the steps.

"Wow." We all say in unison, except Jadelyn who starts eyeing the coffee pot in the kitchen.

"Sorry, forgot." I say to Jadelyn. "Stay by Cat." I say, and Jadelyn obeys, walking to Cat and sitting by her like a dog protecting someone. I leave the living room, letting everyone make small talk while I make Jade her coffee. Black, two sugars. Just because she can't use scissors to hurt me at the moment, doesn't mean I'm gonna get her coffee wrong. I walk back into the living room, coffee in hand. "I'll add coffee to what you can do as Jade, but your coffee consumption will go down. Don't want you using it as a way to get out of the bet." I say, handing her the coffee mug, which she happily drinks.

After Jade finishes her coffee, I lead her upstairs, telling everyone I'm taking a shower. Bad idea, I guess, because my dad came running towards us, grabbing Jadelyn's leash, saying 'She stays down here until you're done.'

I take a quick shower, and get dressed relatively quick for me. I put on blue jeans and a light purple shirt. I brush my hair, put on some light make-up, and put a purple feather earring in, before heading back downstairs. The sight I see makes me freeze.

My mother is currently sitting where I was earlier.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" I say as I slowly walk down the stairs, seeing a collarless Jade in the kitchen.

"Hey, honey." She says, somewhat shy. "Just thought I'd come by and visit."

"After cheating on dad?" Trina says, glaring at our mother from beside Jade in the kitchen. "Where was this caring for you family before you slept with Gary?" She says, her tone angry and upset.

"It's not what it looked like." Holly tries to say, but Trina just ignores her and heads to her room. Yeah, she's Holly to me now.

I don't pay attention to what Holly's saying. I head to the kitchen where Jade is and tell her to go take her shower, which she does in silence. I guess something in my eyes tells her it's better if she leaves us for a moment.

"Look, Aunt Holly." Carlos says, face calm but voice angry as well. "You cheated on Uncle David, and kept it behind everyone's backs for so long. Of course they're angry." He says, not looking in her eyes.

"Why is Jade here?" Holly says, ignoring Carlos.

"She's my girlfriend." I say, watching her from the kitchen. "What happened to the rest of our friends?" I ask, more to Carlos and my dad.

"I asked them to go home." Dad says, looking away from his ex-wife. "I thought it best if they weren't here."

"Thanks dad." I say.

"Girlfriend?" Holly says, tone in disgust. "Since when did you two get back together?"

"A while ago." Dad says, still not looking at Holly.

"Why was she wearing a collar and a leash? Some kind of lesbian sex play?" Holly says, glaring at me now.

"None of your business." Carlos says, now glaring at Holly. "Why are you here? Gary get tired of you or something?"

"You shut up. You are my nephew more than David's. And you will not speak to me that way." Holly says, her tone low and angry.

"So what?" Carlos counters. "Who cares if I'm related through you and not him?" He says, nodding his head towards Dad when he says 'him'. "I might not be a Vega, but sure as hell more family than you are." He says, standing up and walking closer to me. "What's your problem with lesbians anyway? You were okay with it when they first started dating. Now it's a sin to you or something? What the hell?"

"Shut up Carlos!" Holly yells, getting in his face.

"That's enough!" Dad yells, standing up now too. "Holly, I want you out. I let you in as a guest so you can see our daughters, but if this is how you're going to be, then leave. Carlos." He says, his tone softening somewhat. "Go upstairs, and check on Trina."

"Yeah." Carlos says, looking from Dad to me. "You okay, Little Star?"

"I'll be fine." I whisper, giving him a small smile as he heads upstairs.

"I am not leaving. Not yet." Holly says. "I want custody of Tori."

"No." I say, finally entering the living room. "I'm staying with dad."

"Holly, what makes you fit to take care of her?" Dad says, getting between me and my mother, a name that doesn't suit her anymore.

"I'm her mother." She says matter of factly.

"And I'm her father." Dad counters, just the same. "You care more for my ex-partner than your own daughters. You won't get custody. Now, leave." He says, his tone a little dark.

"What, are you okay with your daughter being a dyke?" Holly says, spitting out the last word.

"Do not call me daughter that word!" Dad yells, causing Holly and I to jump slightly. "She is a lesbian. She loves Jade, and Jade loves her. I have no problems what so ever about that."

"Why is she here so early? You let her stay the night?" Holly says, not letting this go.

"She moved in." Dad says, sounding slightly exhausted. "Something happened, and she couldn't stay at her old place, so I offered her to move in with us." He says, lying about how she was offered. Why did he say that he offered, when I almost begged him?

"You're okay with having these dykes in our house?" She says, sounding more disgusted than she did before. At this point, I feel like I might start crying at Holly's words. I may not consider her my mother anymore, but her words hurt more than I imagined.

"Out. Now." Dad says, in a dangerously quiet voice. "This is not 'our' house, it's mine. My daughter is a lesbian, and if you say that word again, I'll arrest you for slander. Do I make myself clear?"

"Fine. You win, David." Holly says, turning around and leaving the house.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, sweetie." Dad says in a comforting tone, giving me a reassuring hug. "Go find Jade." He whispers into my ear, giving me a quick squeeze before letting me go.

"Thanks dad. I love you." I say as I slowly pull away.

"I love you Tori. Never forget that." He says, slightly pushing towards the stairs.

**I apologize for the turn of emotions in this chapter. I originally planned it on focusing on Tori and Jadelyn, but the idea for Holly becoming a homophobic bitch came out of nowhere. I planned on her being okay with Tori and Jade, but I think this way is a bit better.**

**Thank you for reading, and I appreciate the reviews. Please check out my crossover 'A New Beginning'. It's an iCarly and VicTORIous story, with Freddie and Cat.**

**A virtual cookie for whoever figures out where I got the quote "I am so weak." That Carlos used earlier in this chapter. Hint: it's from a Disney channel show.**


	14. Sunday Dog Days part 2

**Jade POV**

I stand at the top of the stairs, listening to the conversation.

I can't believe that Holly went from being okay with us, to so against it. When she first found out about us, when we first dated, she congratulated us, her eyes shone bright with un-shed tears.

Now, her tone had more malice than I thought a Vega was capable of.

"Jade?" I jump when I hear Tori's confused voice. "How much have you heard?"

"Everything." I say, glaring at the bottom of the stairs, avoiding her gaze. "If there is a custody battle, what chance is there for David to keep you?" I ask, looking her in the eyes, my gaze becoming soft when I see her.

"I don't know. Some of the judges in LA aren't exactly open-minded." She says, walking towards me and giving me a hug. "I hope it doesn't come to that though." She says, sadly.

"Knowing your dad?" I start, a smile on my face. "You won't be leaving."

"thanks, Jade." She says, pulling away with a smile on her face. "COme on, let's call the others and see if they're up for lunch at Karaoke Dokie."

"Sure. I'll call Cat, you call André." I say, leading her to her room. "Beck and André will most likely be together still, and so are Cat and Robbie, now that they're not arguing over Cat's weird dream anymore." I say when I see her confused face.

"Make sense." She says as we enter her room. "Wait. Aren't you supposed to be Jadelyn now?" She says with a sly smirk.

"Oh, come on, Tori. Can't it wait until after we get back from lunch?" I ask, using my Cat voice.

"Fine. I'll let it slide for now. But." She says, her smirk never leaving her face. I never should have taught her that smirk. "When we get back, each time you slip up and act as Jade instead of Jadelyn, for the rest of the day, I get to smack you."

"Smack me? That's your idea of punishment?" I say, laughing as I grab my phone from her bedside table.

"On the ass." I stop and stare at her, phone slipping on to her bed. "As hard as I want."

"Didn't know you were into the rough stuff." I smirk, a devious tone to my voice.

"I'm dating you. Of course I like the rough stuff." She says, picking my phone up and handing it to me. "Close your mouth. You'll catch flies. Now, call Beck."

"Yes, ma'am." I say before I realize it. "Oh, chiz."

"Ma'am? I like it. I though of a way you can stop being Jadelyn the dog, and keep the bet going. Interested?" She says, smiling darkly.

"Tell me later." I say, quickly finding Cat's number and calling her, not liking the look on my girlfriend's face.

"Works for me." She says, smirking again as she grabs her phone and dials André's number. "Hey, Andre." She says when he answers. I'm pulled out of my thoughts when Cat calls my name over the phone.

"Sorry, Cat. What are you and Robbie doing for lunch today?" I ask, watching Tori carefully out of the corner of my eye.

"Nothing. Why?" She asks, energetic as always.

"Tori and I were wondering if you and Robbie wanted to meet up with us at Karaoke Dokie later for lunch? She's talking to André now, seeing if him and Beck are interested as well."

"Let me ask him. He went home because his mamaw needs his help with her internet again. He invited me, but I don't like her." She says, pouting at the end.

"Text him and as him. If so, text me to let me know, okay?" I ask, remembering when Robbie's mamaw video chatted with him during class. That was a good class.

"KK! Bye!"

"See ya, Cat." I say, laughing slightly.

"André says him and Beck are up to it. What about Cat and Robbie?" Tori asks, sitting on her bed and looking at me.

"She says she'll have to ask him. He's helping is 'mamaw' with her internet again." I say, air quoting 'mamaw'.

"And Cat didn't want to go? I thought she liked the elderly?"

"She does, but Robbie's grandma doesn't like Cat because of her hair." I say with a shrug.

"Well, that's a stupid reason to hate someone." She says, earing a surprised look from me. "Robbie's mamaw, not Cat." She says, letting me know who she was talking about.

"Oh. Ok. I was worried there for a sec." I state, sitting beside her. "When are we meeting the guys at Karaoke Dokie?"

"Well, it's 10:00 a.m. now, and I told André 12:30." She says, checking her phone for the time.

"Ok, what are we gonna do until then?" I ask as my phone rings, indicating a text from Cat.

-Robbie says sure. What time?- Cat V.

-12:30. See ya there Kitty Cat.- Jade W.

-KK Jadey.- Cat V.

-Don't call me that.- Jade W.

-KK.- Cat V.

"Cat and Robbie will meet us there." I say, putting my phone beside hers on the table.

"Want to go talk to Carlos? I want to see if he has his class roster yet." She answers my previous question, grabbing her phone.

"Sure. I need more coffee anyway." I say, grabbing my phone as well, following her downstairs.

"You love coffee more than me, huh?" She asks, sounding worried.

"Surprisingly, no." I state. "Coffee more." I say, smirking, a joking tone.

"Gank."

"You love me anyway."

"Yeah yeah." She says, walking towards the kitchen, where David and Carlos are sitting. "Hey guys." She says, smiling bright.

"You okay, honey?" David asks his youngest daughter.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Your mother?" He asks, earing a growl from me.

"I'm over that, dad." She says, sitting beside him. "Jade and I are having lunch with the gang later, that okay?"

"Sure, just stay out of trouble." He says, unsure.

"Damn." I state. "There go hiring some strippers."

"Jade!" "Not funny." "Bad Jadelyn." Tori, David, and Carlos say at the same time.

"Kidding." I say while laughing. "Wait." I say when Carlos' words click in my head. "What did you just call me?" I ask, facing Carlos.

"I called you 'Jadelyn'." He says simply. "You two taking my class tomorrow during your free period after lunch?" He asks, completely changing the subject.

"Maybe." Tori says, drinking a glass of pink lemonade I didn't realize she grabbed.

"I might. It'll help me when I become a director." I say, grabbing a coffee mug and filling it with coffee, adding the sugar I like.

"Cool. Tell your friends." He says, looking a little hopeful. "Helen sent me an e-mail saying that the free period for students is open to take the class as a trial. If any like it, they become members of the class."

"Okay?" I ask, sipping my coffee. "Do we need anything?"

"For now, no." He says. "After a while, you'll need a camera. Preferably something not on your phone or a regular digital camera."

"What do you mean?" Tori asks.

"Remember the camera you saw me use earlier?" He asks us. We both nod, letting him continue. "Something like that. Radio Shack has them for a good price and they have everything you'd need for he class. For those that decide to stay, I'll give them a list of what they'll need." He says, helpfully.

"Good." I say.

"What time are you two going to lunch?" David asks, getting our attention.

"12:30. We're leaving at noon." Tori answers. "Why?"

"Just asking." He answers. "Now, Carlos. You moving in with us or an apartment?"

"Is it okay if I move in here?" He asks, curious.

"Sure. No strippers." David says, jokingly, glancing at me as he does.

"I need to make a call." Carlos says, getting up and heading upstairs.

"He's joking, right?" Tori asks, concerned.

"I wish I knew." David says, shaking his head with a slight laugh.

"I plead the fifth." I say, sipping my coffee again.

The rest of the morning goes quickly. Tori and I leave at noon, heading towards Karaoke Dokie, with a wave to her father. Carlos still hasn't been seen since his odd departure earlier, but no one seems worried. Apparently, it's how he is.

We pull in to the Karaoke Dokie parking lot, seeing the rest of the gang waiting by their cars.

"What's up chicas?" André asks, giving Tori a hug.

"Not much. Just pushing a moment out of my head." Tori answers, sounding a little somber at the end.

"Do we want to know?" Beck asks, standing beside his boyfriend.

"No." I answer before Tori has a chance. "You guys thinking of taking Carlos' photography class tomorrow?" I ask, changing the subject as Cat gives me a hug.

"Maybe." Robbie answers, looking at Cat who nods enthusiastically in agreement.

"It sounds fun." She says, bouncing over to Tori to give her a hug.

"How do you know?" I ask, after she's done crushing my girlfriend's ribs. "He hasn't told you guys what'll happen in class."

"It's taking pictures. That's fun." She says, matter-of-factly.

"She's got a point." Robbie says, giving Cat a hug. "It won't be as easy as using a pearphone to take pictures or anything, but it does sound like fun."

"I'm hungry." I state, walking to the doors, looking back to see Tori roll her eyes with a smile, before following me in.

"Let's go guys." She says, locking eyes with me.

"Hey Tori." Car asks as we enter the building. "Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" She asks, sounding too serious for her.

"Sure. We'll meet you guys in there." Tori says, giving me a quick kiss as she and Cat head off to the side to talk.

"What do you think that's about?" Beck asks, leading us to an empty seat.

"I don't know, but Cat better be careful what she says." I say as I take a seat, pushing Robbie away so the seat next to me is open for Tori.

"Chill, Jade." André says, picking up the menu. "She's probably just asking for bibble again or something."

"Thanks Tori!" We all turn to the door where Tori and Cat are now on their way over to us, a wide smile on Cat's face, and a small smile on Tori's.

"What was that about?" I ask, sounding slightly jealous, as Tori sits down beside me.

"She asked for Carlos' cell number." She says with a shrug. "I don't know why."

"50 buck says it's to ask for bibble." I say, picking up the menu in front of me. "He was warned."

"Who was warned?" Beck asks, catching the end of the conversation.

"Remember when I told Carlos that there would be consequences to letting Cat have bibble at the card game?" I ask, waving the waiter over to us.

"Yeah?" He says, letting me know he at least remembers.

"This is one of them. He let her have bibble, and now she'll expect it." I finish as the waiter gets to us.

"Good afternoon. What can I get you all to drink?" He asks, eyeing me and Tori.

We all say water, and I get frustrated when he still lears at us while he writes.

"I'd also like your blood, and if you keep eyeing me and my girlfriend, that's exactly what I'll get." I say, no hint of joking in my tone.

"Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I'll just get your drinks." He says, rushing away.

"Did you have to threaten him?" Tori asks, going over the menu, sending a glare to me as she talks.

"Yes, I did." I say simply.

"I'll be back." Cat says, getting from the chair and heading to the bathroom.

"Cat, what about your lunch?" Robbie yells to her.

"What I always get!" She yells back, turning into the bathroom.

"She's an energetic thing, isn't she?" I ask, turning from where Cat just disappeared to, to the rest of the gang.

"Here are your drinks." I look up when I hear a female voice. "What can I get you to eat?" She asks, taking out her notepad and a pen.

We give her out orders, and as she goes to walk away, I stop her. "What happened to the other guy?"

"Apparently a customer scared him, and asked me to take over his shift." She answers with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'll be back with your food."

"Tori, Jade, did you tell Carlos not to give me bibble?" cat asks, appearing out of nowhere behind us.

"Don't do that!" Tori yells, clutching just above her heart.

"No, we didn't." I say, catching my breath. Yeah, Cat scared me. It's not like I could help it, I should have seen heer coming from the bathroom.

"But when I asked him, he said no." Cat says with a pout.

"I'm sorry Cat, but you know you shouldn't have bibble." Tori says in a soothing tone.

"I know." She says quietly, sitting down on the chair between me and Robbie.

We spend the next 20 minutes talking about whatever, and I find out that all six of us are taking the photography class tomorrow.

"Here's your food." The same waitress from before says, carefully placing our food in front of us. "So, who scared Doug?" She asks as she hands us our silverware.

"Who's Doug?" Tori asks, taking a sip of her water.

"The waiter from before." She states, taking an empty seat from a table by us and sitting in it.

"I did." I say as I watch her sit. "Shouldn't you be heading on back now?" I ask, raising my pierced eyebrow at her.

"I'm on break. Why'd you do it?" She says, not wasting time getting to her question.

"He was eyeing me and my girlfriend." I say, taking a sip of my water.

"That makes sense. He's a douche." She says, a low laugh in her voice. "My name's Maria." She says, holding her hand out to me.

"Jade." I state, carefully shaking her hand. I stare at her as the others give her their names and take bites of their food. "Is there a reason you're talking to us?"

"You caused my brother to almost piss his pants. Just wanted to congratulate you." Maria says with a smile.

"Brother?" Tori asks, surprised.

"One time, my brother peed his pants at a police station." Cat says, earning a confused look from everyone but me.

"Why?" André asks, sounding slightly afraid to know.

"The wouldn't let him go to the bathroom during his intero, intro, questioning thing." She says, mumbling the ending slightly in confusement.

"Anyway, can we help you with anything, Maria?" Beck says, giving Cat a comforting pat on the shoulder as he turns to the waitress.

"No. Sorry for interrupting your lunch." She says, getting up from her chair.

"Aren't you Hollywood Arts wannabe's banned from here?" We all turn to see Hayley and Tara standing by our table.

"Not anymore. The ban was lifted when we kicked your asses, remember?" I say, casually eating my lunch.

"Well, we're banning you again." Tara says, a smug look on her face.

"Not happening, little sister." Maria says, watching Hayley and Tara.

"You're related to her. Hope you can sing better than her." I say, going from Maria to Hayley, a glare on my face when I see Hayley. "My ears are still bleeding from the last time."

"Stop." Tori and Maria say at the same time. "Hayley, Tara. Go. Dad doesn't own this place anymore. I do." Maria says. "Why would they be banned anyways?" She asks.

"We sung better than them at a Karaoke contest a couple of years ago, so they banned us when we got pissed that they won because her dad owned the place." I say, indicating Cat and me when I started, pointing to Hayley at the end.

"Well, let's have some fun." Maria starts, smirking. "Contest. 2 on 2. Whoever sings the worst, is banned." She states, glaring at her sister. "The crowd is the judge."

**Decided to end on another cliffhanger. Sorry, but I like them. I need a song and pairing for the Karaoke contest. Hayley and Tara are the other duo (obviously), and I need a song for them.**

**Thank you for the reviews and for reading. I look forward to reading the reviews for this chapter.**

**In case anyone is wondering where I got the quote for Carlos last chapter, 'I am so weak'. It's from Billy Ray Cyrus' character from 'Hannah Montana'. Yes, I used to watch it. I'm 24 and I still watch Nick and Disney.**

**Also, I'm thinking about deleting my old story 'Unexpected'. If I do, I'll replace it with a new story, but the original pairing, Jade and OC, is still the main pair.**


	15. The Karaoke Competition

The gang and I watch as Hayley and Tara take the stage, Maria grabbing a microphone as they talk to the DJ.

"There's a karaoke competition going on. First up is my little sister Hayley, and her friend Tara, singing first. After them, there will be two others from Hollywood Arts. You, the patrons, will vote by applause. Who ever receives the loudest applause wins, and the losing duo is banned from Karaoke Dokie." Maria states, making eye contact with everyone eating and watching the stage. "So, first up, Hayley and Tara." She says, stepping off the stage and taking a seat by us.

We watch as the untalented Hayley and Tara grab the microphones from the Dj, facing away from us as the music starts. The gang and I groan when the song starts.

(Song is 'Falling Down' by Selena Gomez and The Scene.)

You walk and talk like you're some new sensation You move in circles, You don't need an invitation You spend your money, You can't get no satisfaction You play it right so you can get the right reaction

Hayley starts as Tara takes over the next verse. I glance at the rest of the gang, as well as everyone else in Karaoke Dokie. Clearly, we're not the only ones who's ears will be bleeding when the song isn't even over. They harmonize at the chorus, well, as harmonizing as nails on a chalkboard mixed with a pig squealing.

Who's gonna catch ya

They finish with a flourish, and very few people clap, and the ones that do clap barely make a sound.

"Your turn." Hayley says, a smug smile on her face as she and Tara exit the stage after handing the microphones to the DJ.

"Gladly." I state, turning to the others. "Who's up for a duet?" I ask, watching them curiously.

"I'm game." Tori says, smiling at me. "Anyone else?" She asks, turning from me to the others.

They look at each other, shrugging slightly. After a moment, they all shake their heads. "Looks like it's a duet for us again, huh?" I ask, nudging Tori with a smile on both of our faces. "Let's hope it has the same result as when we sang 'Take A Hint'." I say as we head to the stage.

"I know the perfect song." Tori says, walking to the DJ and telling him the song.

"What song did you pick?" I ask curiously as she hands me the microphone.

"You'll see." She says smugly, winking at me.

(Song is 'Dirty Work' by Halestorm.)

Get on your knees and let the games begin Bow to your queen and let me crown your head Cause I can make you every inch a queen Before I do tell me what's in it for me

I need someone young, willing, and able You need someone old enough to know better I want you to

I start as Tori acts out the bowing part. We continue to act out various parts of the song, me singing the first verse, then her harmonizing with me on the chorus. It switches to her part for the second verse, us continuing to act out the song again, harmonizing again at the chorus again.

Do my dirty work

We both end at the same time, facing each other as the crowd cheers loudly.

"Congratulations." Maria says, grabbing the microphone from me as she gets on the stage, us leaving and taking our seats. "Well, let's hear it for Hayley and Tara." She says, very few people cheering as they frown from the lack of noise. "Okay. Not the worst response. Now, how about for Tori and Jade?" We smile as the crowd cheers wildly, a fuming Hayley and Tara glaring at everyone. "Well, I think that answers that. The winners of this little competition are Tori and Jade!" Everyone cheers again at Maria's words.

"Congratulations." "Yay! You won!" "Congrats." The gang say, followed by a squeezing hug from Cat as she yells in our ears.

"And that means that Hayley and Tara are banned from Karaoke Dokie. They think it's ok to ban people who have more talent than them, and it came back and bit them in the butt." Maria says as the cheering dies down. "Enjoy your meal, girls." She says, handing the microphone back to the DJ and getting off of the stage. "I'm gonna continue my shift. See you girls later." She says, patting our shoulders briefly as she heads over to collect her stuff to continue her shift.

"Well, that was an interesting performance." André says, smiling happily at us. "Never thought I'd see Tori get on her knees for ya Jade."

"She got on all fours when she first joined Hollywood Arts." I say, taking a drink of water.

"That's true." Cat says. "Tori has done a lot of stuff for Jade, without question." She says, not sounding like the Cat we're all used to.

"You should see the stuff I get her to do at home." I say, a devious smirk on my face.

"Jade!" Tori yells, elbowing me. "Bad Jadelyn." She says after a few moments of laughter from our friends. "Just wait until we get home." She says, going from sounding upset to taunting.

"Oh, crap." I say, knowing full well what she has in mind.

**Don't worry, it's not a cliffhanger this time. Next chapter will take place the next day at school.**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**To Jay aka Jordan, I appreciate the offer for the OC in the remake of 'Unexpected', but I'm sticking with the OC from the original. And to Jeremy Shane, thanks for the reassurance on still watching kids shows at our age.**


	16. The Next Day

Last night was fun, if you don't count Tori making me act like dog during dinner for my comment after the Karaoke competition.

Monday morning, I wake up in my room, rolled in a ball. Okay, what the hell? I understood it when I slept like a dog when I stayed in Tori's room, but not in my room. I head to my dresser and grab a change of clothes, heading into the bathroom to take a shower. After the shower, I head back to my room to do my hair and make-up. I do my make-up the same as usual, same with my hair. I add a purple highlight to my hair before grabbing my school bag and heading downstairs for breakfast, seeing Tori and Trina sitting at the kitchen table, chatting quietly.

"No breakfast?" I ask, sitting beside Tori.

"Just waiting on everyone else." She says, leaning over and giving me a kiss.

"Not at the table." Trina says, gagging slightly.

"Chill out, Trina." I say, turning slightly to face her. "You won't hear us complain if you ever get a date."

"I can get a date." She says, a slight sneer in her voice.

"Easier said than done." I say, getting elbowed by Tori. "I'm kidding. Slightly." I say as David and Carlos finally make their way downstairs.

"Tori didn't cook yet?" David says, sounding surprised.

"Waiting on you guys." She says, getting up and heading into the kitchen.

"Don't forget my coffee." I say as she heads to the stove.

"I know." She says, waving me off.

"Aren't you supposed to be a dog?" Trina asks, leaning towards me. "Did she cancel the bet?"

"No, she didn't cancel." I say, glaring at her. "She's just letting it go for now. I guess me being a dog all last night after the karaoke competition let it slide for now."

We all sit, making small talk as Tori finishes breakfast. "How many eggs you guys want?" She asks, placing a plate full of bacon and sausages on the table between all of us. "Anyone want toast?" She asks as she heads back to the kitchen.

We all say two, and she nods in agreement, cracking some eggs over the stove. "And the toast?" She asks, checking on the eggs.

"Sure." "No thanks." "Yes, thank you sweetie." "Yes." I, Carlos, David, and Trina say. She nods and starts on some toast as she makes the eggs.

We continue our small talk, occasionally including Tori in the conversation as she cooks for us.

"Food's done." Tori says, setting the eggs and toast down for us. "Dig in." She adds with a smile, sitting by me.

"I like it better this way." Trina states, grabbing some toast and eggs.

"Like what better this way?" Tori asks, taking a bite of her eggs.

"The way you served it. I like it better when you do it like this as opposed to you making our plates for us." Trina says, shrugging her shoulders as she continues eating.

"Whatever?" I say, finishing a piece of bacon. "So, Carlos, what's our first assignment?" I ask the only one not eating bacon.

"The only way you'll find out is to wait until I give it to you." He says, taking a sip of orange juice.

"Do we need specific cameras or something?" Tori asks, finishing her eggs and toast.

"Not for now. Helen told me that only 10 people pre-applied for the class, so I went out and purchased what'll be needed for the first assignment." He says, finishing his own eggs, standing up to place his plate in the sink and rinsing it off.

"Is that why you purchased those yesterday while they were out?" David asks his nephew.

"Yep." He says, chugging the rest of his orange juice. "I gotta go. Helen asked me to come in early to get the class set up." He says, grabbing his Pearbook, bag, and camera case, heading to the door. "See you girls in class."

"Bought what?" Tori asks her dad, taking her plate and mine to the sink to rinse them off. "Are they important?"

"For your assignment, yes." David says with a knowing smile. "I have to go too, girls." He says, putting his plate in the sink. "Stay safe, girls." He says on his way out of the kitchen, giving Tori and Trina a kiss on the top of the head, me a pat on the shoulder. "Have fun." He throws in as he leaves the house.

Tori and I get up, grabbing our stuff and head to my car a few minutes after her dad leaves. "So, what do you think your cousin bought yesterday for his class?" I ask as we head into my car.

"Don't know." She says, closing the door behind her as she sits down. "Knowing him, who knows?"

"Oh, before I forget." I say, pulling out of the driveway. "Cat told me Sikowitz is writing a new play. You gonna sign up?"

"Not this time. I have a few songs to work on with André and Cat for some classes." She says with a sigh. "I want to, but with the songs I have to write and perform for the classes, as well as that short script I have to have in by next week. Ugh, I need less work." She says as we pull into the school parking lot.

"Which class has you write a script?" I ask as we get out.

"Sikowitz." She growls. "Remember when I missed school for a week a while ago?" She asks, continuing when I nod. "The script is my make-up work for what I missed."

"That sucks." I say, leading her into the school. "I'll meet you at your locker." I say, giving her a kiss on her lips as we split apart as we enter the doors.

"See you in a moment." She says, returning the kiss.

I watch her as she heads to her locker, heading to mine shortly after we split. I open my locker, taking out the books for my morning periods, shutting it and heading towards her, seeing her talking to Cat and André as she takes out her stuff.

"Hey Jade." André says as Cat crushes me in a hug. "You signing up for Sikowitz's new play?"

"Cat, off." I say, prying her off of me. "Yeah. Anyone know what it's about?" I ask as Cat skips over to where she was before.

"I don't know." Cat says, rocking on her heels. "I hope it's fun." She says, giggling.

"I heard it's taking place in the 70's though, so that may be fun." André says, shifting his weight slightly.

"What's wrong, Dre?" Tori asks, noticing how shy he looks.

"I also heard that Ryder may sign up since he was allowed back in to school." He says, dropping his head slightly.

"Damn homophobic bastard." I say, clenching my fists.

"Who are we threatening to kill now?" We jump slighty as we hear Beck sneak up behind us, a knowing smile on his face.

"I'll give you a hint." I say. "He hate's you, André, me, and Tori for our sexual orientation."

"Ah, Ryder." He says with a sigh. "I'm surprised he's back in school already."

"I just want to kill him." I say, smiling smugly.

"Burn the body in a place where there's enough air to keep the flames nice and hot, but not enough to put them out. Spread the ashes in the ocean and make sure you keep gloves on so there are no fingerprints." We jump again as we hear another male voice, this time, it's Carlos. "Who's dying?"

"How do you know all of this?" Tori asks in an accusatory tone. "And how do you say it so simply?"

"We're killing a homophobic asshole named Ryder." I say. "I need coffee." I say, heading towards the Asphalt Cafe. "Be back soon." I end, giving Tori a kiss on the lips again.

Tori POV

I watch as Jade walks away, heading for her morning coffee from the coffee stand by the Grub Truck.

"So, I guess your room is all set up now?" I ask my cousin, catching the attention of the rest of the group.

"Is that why you're here?" Beck asks. "I forgot you took the job offer."

"How'd you know about that?" Carlos asks casually.

"Tori and Jade told us." Beck replies, indicating André, Cat, and Robbie when he says 'us'.

"Oh. And yeah. I just finished setting up some posters and I decided to look around the school. I heard Dark Gem's comment about killing, so I chimed in."

"And you never answered my question." I say, same tone as before.

"When you watch the horror movies I do, plus the shows and listen to a band like Otep, you learn a thing or two." Carlos says, as if it's no big deal. "If you'll excuse me, Helen wants me to sit in on some teacher's class to get a feel for teaching. Any of you guys know a Sikowitz?"

"Yeah, we have him first period." I say, smiling. "After Jade gets back, we'll show you the way."

Jade POV

"Why are we waiting for me?" I say, walking up to Tori, two coffees in hand. "Here babe." I say, handing her a hazelnut coffee.

"This isn't garbage coffee, is it?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"No, it's not garbage coffee." I say. "Now, why are we waiting for me?" I ask again.

"Carlos is sitting in on Sikowitz's class to get a feel for teaching before his class after lunch." André says, arm draped over Beck's shoulder. "This oughta be fun." He says with a light laugh as Tori and I lead the way to Sikowitz's class.

"I do not like the way he said that." Carlos says, making the rest of us laugh.


	17. Sikowitz's Class and Bad News

We walk towards Sikowitz's class, making small talk as we go. I hear Carlos behind me talking to Beck and André about what kind of teacher Sikowitz is for André to say what he said as we head to class.

"Seriously, what the hell did you mean?" Carlos asks in a curious tone as we enter class.

"You'll see." André says as he and Beck take their seats in the middle of class.

"Should I be afraid?" Carlos asks Tori and me as we take our seats in the back of class, Carlos taking a seat close to Tori.

"Maybe." I say, smirking.

"That look scares me." He says, watching me cautiously.

"Good morning class!" Sikowitz says as he climbs through the window.

"Who's the homeless guy?" Carlos asks us.

"That's Sikowitz." Tori says to her cousin before facing me. "Told you I'm not the only one who thought he was homeless at first glance."

"Whatever." I say, smiling.

"Who are you?" Sikowitz asks Carlos, mysteriously appearing behind him, scaring him slightly.

"Carlos. New photography teacher." He answers, watching Sikowitz.

"Why are you here?" Sikowitz asks loudly.

"Helen said to sit in on your class to watch a teacher to help me teach my class."

"Good." Sikowitz says, heading back to the mini stage. "Now, Cat, Tori, Jade. To the stage." The three of us head up to the stage, curious looks on our faces. The last time he did this, we had to play a family. "Tori and Jade, you two are husband and wife, and Cat, you are their child."

"We already did an excercise like this." I groan out. "Are we doing this again?"

"Yes, but this time, instead of subtext, the lesson is how to play one a fellow actor's lines." Sikowitz says, sipping from his coconut. "Just like in improv. Now, action. Just do what comes naturally."

Tori - "Hey honey." She says, instantly going into the character of a loving housewife.

Me - "Hey, babe." I say, pretending like I just walked through the door, going into the husband role, same as when we did this when we had to re-audition for Helen.

Tori - "Catarina finally had her first words today." She says, leaning down toward Cat, like she's an infant. "Go ahead, sweetie. Tell daddy what you said earlier."

Cat - "Momma." She says like a child, giggling innocently.

Me - "Oh, that's sweet." I say, leaning down to Cat as well. "How was your day hon?" I say, turning to face Tori.

Tori - "It was good." She says, a smile on her face. "Got a call from the record label I sent a demo to."

Me - "So? What did they say?" I ask as I give Cat a one-armed hug as I rub her hair with the other hand.

Tori - "They're giving me a chance." She squeaks out, a huge smile on her face. "They want me to go in on Saturday to go over the contract. I was thinking if you weren't busy, if you would come wtih?"

Cat - "Momma." She says, holding her arms up like she wants to be held.

Jade - "Sure, I can come up." I say, sitting down and pulling Cat onto my lap. "What time is the meeting?"

Tori - "They said there's an opening around 1, so we can head up then. I told them I was bringing Cat, and they were okay with it." She says, still smiling.

"Cut." Sikowitz says, ending the scene. "Not what I was expecting, but well done." He says. "Sit, sit." He says, walking up to the stage.

We walk to our seats as Sikowitz continues the lesson, telling us about how a simple action or word can change a scene. The class continues, occasionally Sikowitz would invite a few students to act out various scenes to show how a scene can change with each action. A few minutes before class ends, Sikowitz gives us the rest of the class time to talk before inviting Carlos up to talk.

"You think Sikowitz's 'coconut visions' told him we would get together?" Tori asks me out of the blue.

"What makes you think that?" I ask, giving her a curious look.

"Think about it. He's set us up for a lot of scenes and stuff together. Had us act as husband and wife like three times now. Had us go on a date to be a believable couple." She says with a sigh. "And when we started dating, he was the only one who wasn't surprised. In fact, he said 'finally' under his breath that first day."

"Huh. How'd you know that?" I ask, not knowing the last part.

"André told me during R&B Vocals later that day." She says, leaning her head on my shoulder. "I didn't believe him at first, but Cat and Beck verified, and we both know Cat can't lie." She says with a chuckle at the end.

"Yeah. Cat really is an innocent little thing." I agree with a chuckle. "I wonder why Sikowitz has the three of us act like a family. This was the second time, but you know he wanted to do it more than once. When we played husband and wife, he almost let Cat pick a card, but went with André instead. I wonder why he didn't let her draw?"

"I'd say it's because he didn't want our 'twins' to be a boy and girl when they were both male?" She says unsure.

"Then how come he had no problem with us being husband and wife?" I counter.

"The coconut milk told me to pass on Cat." Sikowitz says, appearing out of nowhere, Carlos behind him.

"Stop doing that!" Tori yells out of fear. "I hate when you do that."

"I know." He says simply. "Besides, I have another plan for you three. I will talk to you later, Carlos." He says, walking out the door as the bell rings.

"He worries me." Carlos says, earning understanding nods from Tori and me as we get out of our seats and head to our next class. "I gotta go. See you girls during class." He says, waking out the back door as we head out of the front.

The day goes well, Tori and I barely seeing each other outside of class, since we don't have that many classes together, only seeing each other in the halls. Finally, we get to lunch.

"Hey sweet thang." Rex says as Tori and I sit down with out lunches, a salad for me and a turkey sandwich on wheat for her.

"Shut up Rex." Tori says with a growl.

"Ooh, feisty." The puppet says, bouncing up and down on Robbie's lap.

"I thought you got rid of him?" I ask as I pick him up and throw him in front of an oncoming SUV.

"Jade!" Robbie yells at me, ignoring my question.

"I hate that puppet." Tori says, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"I know the feeling." I say.

"Hey, Tori?" We all turn around as we see a sad-faced Trina coming towards us from the parking lot.

"Trina, what's wrong?" Tori asks, clearly upset from her elder sister's tone.

"Dad's in the hospital. He was on a drug raid when he got shot when they kicked the door in." She says, sitting beside her sister, a frown now on everyone's faces.

"How is he?" She says in a low voice.

"We need to go." Trina says, tears pouring down her face. "You two Jade. I already called Helen and told her that you two had to leave."

Thre three of us grab our things and head to Trina's car. I toss my keys to Beck, telling him to take it home after school, not waiting for a response as I follow the Vega sisters, abandoning our lunch without a thought.

**Sorry I lied about who ends up in the hospital. The next chapter will be in the hospital, and we'll see Holly again. Also, we'll see Ryder again as well in the chapter after next.**

**Thank you for reading and reviews. I still plan on updating Tuesday, and the update after that will be either Thursday or Saturday, since the library I go to for internet is closed for Good Friday. My story 'Unexpected' will be deleted when I post the first chapter of the remake.**


	18. Meeting The New Partner

The drive to the hospital is filled with tense silence. Tori and I sit in the back, watching Trina and the road. After ten or so minutes of driving, we pull into the hospital parking lot and the three of us rush into the hospital, stopping when we get to the front desk.

"Which room is Officer David Vega in?" Trina says, leaning towards the receptionist in an anxious voice.

"Room 205, second floor. Take the elevator to the second floor, second door on the left." The male receptionist says, and the three of us rush to the elevator, not waiting for anymore information.

"What all do you know about what happened?" I ask quietly, holding a distraught Tori close to me.

"Just that when they shot through the door for the drug bust, they got shot by the drug dealers." Trina says just as quiet, tears falling from her eyes. "Dad was in the front, so he got the brunt of it." She says, her breath shaking.

"He'll be okay, right?" I ask, loud enough for Trina to hear, but softly enough for Tori not to hear.

"I don't know yet." She says, crying as the doors open. I try to keep a straight face for Tori and Trina, but I can feel tears slide down my cheeks as we walk towards his room. "His partner, Henry, is the one who called me. He's down the hall getting some stitches."

"He'll be okay, Trina." I say comfortingly, rubbing Tori's arm as we stand outside the door. "He's strong, this won't get him."

"Thanks, Jade." Trina says, still crying but with a slight smile.

I lead them in slowly, knowing they don't have the strength to. I open the door, seeing a badly injured David laying in the hospital bed, bandages around his head and upper arms. I can't see what's under his shirt, but I'm afraid that there's more bandages under.

"Daddy." Tori says, openly crying, standing a few feet away from the bed. I hold her closer to me, rubbing her for comfort. "Wake up, please daddy."

"Hey girls." We turn around, seeing a tall mad with short black hair standing in the doorway, a worried look on his face.

"Hey, Henry." Trina says, standing on Tori's other side. "How are you?"

"Not important." He says, walking in slightly. I see some bandages around his forearm and shoulder. "Do you guys know how he is?"

"No, we don't." I say, speaking for the Vega girls. "We just got here."

"He'll make it. David's a strong guy." He says, leaning against the wall. "I'm Henry, his new partner." He says, holding his hand out for me to shake.

"Jade, Tori's girlfriend." I say, shaking his hand. "How long have you been his partner?"

"A few months." He says quietly. "Since _it_ happened." He says, frowning.

"Yeah, understandable." I say with a sad smile. "Did you know his old partner well?" I ask as Tori and Trina slowly walk towards their father and sitting down in the chairs beside the bed.

"A little." He says. "We were at the academy together. Have you met him?" He asks, keeping voice low so the Vega's don't hear us.

"Met him once." I say, leaning against the wall beside him, keeping my voice low as well. "Some crazy chick was messing with Tori a while ago. Gary was the officer called in to help since David was away at the time."

"I remember that." He says with a small smile. "She was an odd person."

"Yeah. I remember that day for a different reason." I say, sighing.

"Excuse me." A male doctor says, knocking on the open door as he steps in.

"Hello doctor." I say, knowing Tori and Trina aren't able to at the moment.

"Are you family?" He asks, opening the chart.

"We are." Tori says, speaking for the first time since we left the school. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Most of the rounds grazed him, but a few entered a lung." The doctor says to Tori and Trina. "He came out of surgery shortly before we asked his partner to call his family. We were able to extract the bullet without causing anymore damage and sealed the wounds." He says in a calming voice. "Are any of you type A- blood?" He asks, sounding worried.

"Uh, I am." Henry says, stepping forward.

"We're a little low at the time, so would you be able to give us a pint to help him?" The doctor says, facing him.

"Of course. Lead the way." Henry says, eager to help.

"Thank you. Follow me please." The doctor says, heading towards the door with Henry in tow.

"Thank you, Henry." Tori says with a sad smile, facing her father's partner.

"Anytime kid." Henry says, closing the door behind him.

Thank you for reading and please review. I got the idea for Henry from Charmed, in case anyone is wondering. I changed a few things up from my original ideas. Originally, I had it so Holly ended up in the hospital, but changed it to David. Also, we see Mr. West and Ryder again soon. Ryder will be seen in the next chapter of two.


	19. A Day In The Hospital

We sit in the hospital while we watch David, hoping things go well. Tori and Trina haven't said much since David's new partner, Henry, went to give blood. Henry came back a few minutes later, a bandage around his arm where they drew the blood. He couldn't stay long, he had to head back to the police barracks to fill out a report on what happened. A few hours later, the door opens, revealing our friends.

"Any sign yet?" Beck asks me, sitting on my left, since Tori's on my right, as André sits on Tori's other side.

"No, not they told us anyway." I say, arm draped over Tori's shoulder.

"What happened?" Beck asks, his voice quiet so as to not disturb the now sleeping Trina and Tori.

"They were on a drug bust, and when the got the door open, the drug dealers loaded their guns." I start, just as quiet. "His partner Henry told us the story. David was the first in, and when he noticed the guns, he pushed Henry out of the way, putting himself in the line of fire." I say, voice cracking slightly. "When Henry heard the gunfire, he pushed David, getting some grazes on them both, but David still got some heavy fire, some through and throughs." I finish, eyes closed to prevent some tears from falling.

"He'll be okay, Jade." Beck says.

"Where's Carlos?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Outside with Cat and Robbie. They couldn't come in and Carlos didn't want to leave them out there." He says, starting to stand up. "I'm gonna head out, let him come in. I'll see you later Jade." He says, silently heading towards the door and carefully opening it, slipping out before closing it just as carefully.

"Good evening." The doctor says shortly after Beck left. "We have good news." He says after I carefully shake Tori awake as André wakes up Trina the same way.

"What? Is he okay?" Trina says frantically, jolting awake when she sees the doctor.

"He'll be fine. Everything went fine, there are no bullet fragments, and the wounds have been properly sealed." The doctor says, a gentle smile on his face. "Luckily, his partner pushed him out of the way, or some of the bullets would have entered a lung, or worse, his heart." He says, his smile turning to a slight frown.

"Is he in a coma?" Tori asks, gripping my hand tightly.

"Yes, we induced a coma to help him heal. We'll give him the medicine to wake him up shortly, after we know for sure the wounds are healed enough." He says, checking the chart for a quick moment. "At most, I'd say a few days before we start the meds, and a few days later until he wakes up."

"Thank you, doctor." I say as Tori heads to her father's side, grasping his hand.

"Of course." He says, excusing himself out, leaving us.

"Hey, what'd the doctor say?" Carlos says, walking in after the doctor leaves.

"At most a week, he thinks, until David will be awake." Trina answers, grasping her father's other hand. "He said dad was lucky that his partner Henry pushed him when he heard the guns loading, dad wouldn't have made it."

"Henry? I don't remember him. New partner?" Carlos asks, taking a seat by me. "How are they?" He asks, glancing to his cousins.

"Been better. Tori's barely said anything since we got here." I say, watching Tori. "They seem better than when we got here, but I can tell they're trying to keep it together." I say with a frown.

"No tears yet?" He asks surprised.

"A few." I answer, still looking at Tori. "Trina she some on the way, Tori when we walked in, but since then, nothing." I finish with, worried.

"It's not like them to bottle up their emotions." André says from by the wall. "I'm worried about them."

"Same here." I say to André, earning nod of agreement from Beck, Carlos, and Cat and Robbie who finally entered the room after Carlos came in. "I tried to comfort them, but they didn't exactly respond to it."

"What do you mean they didn't respond?" Robbie asks, comforting Cat.

"Just that, they didn't do anything. Just sat there or stood there, no noise or movement."

"That's definitely not a good thing." Beck says, sounding just as concerned as the rest of us.

"Does anyone know why?" Cat asks.

"They're afraid of losing another parent." Carlos says, eyes down. "They lost their mother because of cheating, and now they almost lost their father because of his job. I think they're in shock or something at this point."

We sit in silence, thinking about what he said. After a few moments, I walk over to Tori, giving her a one-armed hug, rubbing her back as she sets her head on my shoulder. "He won't leave you." I tell her quietly.

"I can't lose him, Jade." She says tearfully. "I hate his job." She says. I move slightly, holding her face in my hands as I see her tears fall. "I lost too many people to lose him too."

"You won't lose him." I say, brushing the tears away. "We're here for you." I say, pecking her lips after looking at everyone else.

"Don't leave me." She says quietly, holding me close with her free hand.

"Hey honey." We all look to the door, seeing Holly standing there in the doorway. "How is he?"

"Like you care." Trina says in a low voice, glaring at her mother. "You left us. You broke us. You have no right to be here."

"I still love him." Holly says, stepping through the door.

"Then why did you leave us for Gary?" Trina says, growling at the end.

"Leave." Tori says before Holly could say anything. "You lost the right to love us when you cheated."

"Tori." Holly starts, only to be interrupted by Tori again.

"No. Leave. Now. You cheated on dad and hated me for being gay. You are not my mother." She says. gripping my hand and her father's hand tight.

"I think you should go." Carlos says, facing Holly. "You abandoned them, you can't just walk back in like the past didn't happen."

Holly doesn't bother saying anything after that, she turns around and leaves without a word.

"Figures, she goes without a fight." Trina says under her breath, sitting in the chair by her father, still holding his hand.

"I don't like her." Cat says in a child-like voice.

"Neither do we." I say to her, keeping Tori close. "You okay?" I ask Tori, holding her tightly.

"I will be." She says, giving me a quick peck.

"Who's Henry?" Robbie asks, turning to face us.

"Where did that come from?" I ask him.

"I heard you mention someone by that name a while ago." He says, shrugging his shoulders.

"He's our father's new partner." Trina answers, barely looking at him, keeping her focus on her father. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." He says, sitting beside Cat, giving her a hug.

"You guys gonna stay here?" Beck asks as he and André stand up, holding each other close.

"Yeah." I answer for the Vega sisters.

"We'll see you girls later." Beck says, giving each of us a hug. "Keep us posted on his health." He says as he follows André out of the door.

"We're gonna go too." Robbie says to us, getting up with Cat.

"I hope he's okay." Cat says, giving the Vega sisters and me a tight hug.

"So do we." Tori says when Cat hugs her.

"Thanks for being here Cat." I whisper to her when she hugs me last. "We'll call you later."

"KK. Bye guys." She says as she and Robbie close the door behind them.

"You girls okay?" Carlos asks from his seat.

"We will be." Trina answers for us. "What happened in class?"

"Beck and André filled me in on what happened when they walked in." He answers, sitting still. "After that, I showed the class some of the different picture styles, asked them why they took the class. Out of the 8 people that were there, one of them I hate. André told me his name is Ryder Daniels." He says with a sigh.

"What'd he do?" I ask as Tori takes a seat on the opposite side of where Trina is.

"He said he's taking the class because he wants to join Playboy." He says, smirking at the end. "I laughed because I doubt someone who sees women as toys wouldn't last there. He didn't like that."

"How often are your classes going on?" I ask, pulling a chair beside Tori.

"Everyday after lunch. You two joining?" He asks, leaning forward.

"Yeah. We'll be there tomorrow." I say when Tori nod her head in agreement.

"Okay. Tomorrow, I'm giving the class an assignment. All I'll tell you is it's due a week from Wednesday." He says, leaning back. "How long are you girls gonna stay here?"

"Probably for the night." Tori answers. "You leaving already?"

"For now." He says, getting up with a sigh. "I'll be back later though with food. I doubt you girls have eaten since the news."

"I'll come with." Trina says, standing up. "I'll grab a change of clothes for you two and bring them back later."

"Thanks Trina." Tori and I say to her. "I appreciate it." I tell her.

"See you girls in a few hours." Carlos tells us, holding the door open for Trina, closing it with a wave to us.

"See you later." I say as Tori waves.

**When this is finished, I'll start posting the remake of my first multi-chap, 'Unexpected'. I'm trying to think of a new name for the remake, but nothing comes up. So if anyone has any ideas, feel free to tell me in a review or PM.**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I greatly appreciate all of you.**

**To ant fans of Cori stories, check out Railtima. He has a Cori story, a sequel to it, a Jori story, and a Cade story. The Jori story is awesome, and the Cori story is as well, and I'm only a few chapters in. I haven't started the Cade story yet, but I will after I'm done with the Cori story and sequel.**


	20. Three Jokes, One Angry Latine

Over the next few weeks, Tori and I visit David at the hospital after school. 9 days after he was admitted, David was finally awoken from his induced coma. When asked about why it took longer than the doctor said, David told us they wanted to make sure, and when things were clear, they gave him the meds to wake him up. We got to know Henry better as well, he has a wife named Paige who's a Social Worker and they have a son, Henry Junior. We met Paige a few days after David woke up, and she's a pretty nice woman.

"Good evening everyone." The Doctor Wyatt, David's doctor, says when he sees Tori, Trina, Henry, and me in the room, chatting with a healing David.

"What's up Doc?" I ask, earning a light laugh from Henry and David.

"How are you feeling, David?" He asks, used to the random jokes I say when I visit with Tori.

"Been better." David answers, sitting up.

"Well, I have good news." Doctor Wyatt says, setting his clipboard is the rack on the bed. "After some paperwork, you're cleared to leave."

"About time." I say, getting up when Tori hugs her father.

"Jade." Tori says, giving me a 'seriously?' look.

"What?" I ask, innocently. "I'm sure David agrees with me."

"She's not wrong." He says, chuckling.

"Trina, can you come with me please?" Doctor Wyatt asks.

"Why do you need me?" She asks, slowly getting up.

"You are the eldest, and since he is in no mood to, we need you to sign the paperwork." Doctor Wyatt says, opening the door.

"Okay. I'll be back in a moment." Trina says, giving her father a quick hug.

"What was funny about what Jade said earlier?" Tori asks her father and his partner after Trina closes the door behind her.

"Bugs Bunny." David says, giving his daughter a curious look. "You've never heard of Bugs Bunny?"

"No. Who's he?"

"Oh, you're kidding me." I say, standing up and walking towards her. "You've never seen Looney Tunes?"

"No, never."

"I'll show you some episodes when we get home." David says, shaking his head. "Can't believe my own daughter has never seen such a classic show. I'm a horrible father." He says, hanging his head to hide his silent laughter.

"You are not a horrible father." Tori says, giving her father a comforting hug. "You are an amazing father."

"How long do you think it'll take her to figure out he's messing with her?" I ask Henry in a quiet tone so Tori doesn't hear us as she assures her father.

"Who know?" Henry says just as quiet. "He likes messing with people at the barracks."

"I wonder how mad she'll be when she finds out." I say as the door opens.

"Did I miss something?" Trina asks, giving Tori and their father a confused look.

"David's messing with Tori." I say, smirking when I catch a glimpse of David's amuse smile at his youngest daughter's reaction.

"How?" She asks, stepping closer to us.

"I'll explain later." I say when David bursts out laughing over something Tori said.

"What's so funny?" Tori asks, surprised.

"I'm sorry, I had to do that." David says, still laughing. Tori looks over to us to see Henry and me laughing, while Trina stands there shocked.

"You're mean." Tori says, pouting.

"I'm sorry baby, but I couldn't resist." He says, wiping tears from his eyes as his laughter dies down.

"Did you know?" Tori asks me, slowly advancing towards me with a glare.

"Kinda." I say, laughing myself now.

"I should go. I'll check on you later David." Henry says, laughing as well, giving David a handshake before leaving.

"You guys are mean." Tori says again, still pouting.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm not involved." Trina says, raising her hands defensively.

"Okay, girls, relax. Can anyone of you help me out of bed?" David asks, struggling slightly.

"I'm mad at you." Tori says, taking a few steps away.

"Oh, chill. It was a joke." I say, holding her in a hug and kissing her.

"Can you not do that in front of me?" David says as Trina carefully helps him out, guiding him towards the bathroom to change.

"What?" I ask. "Hug or kiss?"

"Kiss. I love my daughters, but I don't want to see them kissing their significant other." He says, opening the door.

"Too bad Carlos isn't here." Trina says, taking a seat by the now empty bed.

"I was wondering where he is. Anyone know?" I ask, still holding Tori close.

"Grading our projects from class." Tori says, resting her head on my shoulder.

"That reminds me." I say, shifting so I can face her. "What was your project on?"

"I took pictures of some of the teachers around Hollywood Arts, Lane, dad, the gang, and some of you sleeping." She says, facing me with a smile.

"How is me sleeping someone you look up to?" I ask her, confused.

"You're you. Why not?" She asks.

"No pictures of me?" Trina asks, appalled, sounding like her old Diva self.

"I used some pictures from what I took a while ago." Tori says, assuring her sister.

"What are we talking about?" David asks, finally stepping out of the bathroom wearing his usual clothing.

"The project that Carlos assigned us for class." Tori answers, giving her father a hug.

"I take it you forgive me?" He says with a chuckle as he hugs her back.

"For now." She says to her father, before turning to face me. "Who do you look up to?"

"You, David, Trina, yes you too." I say when everyone gives me a shocked look. "I also used some pics of the gang." I answer.

"Nothing embarrassing of me, right?" She says, holding the door for us to leave the room.

"No, just you in the shower. Nothing bad." I say, hiding a smirk.

"Jade!" She yells in the hallway, scaring a nearby nurse. "Sorry." She says to her apologetically.

"I'm just messing with you." I say, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"At least Trina hasn't messed with me." She says, glaring at me.

"Yeah, you might not want to go in your room for a while then." Trina says before rushing outside. The room is on the first floor of the hospital, so the walk to the exit is quick and easy.

"Trina! What did you do?" Tori says, chasing her sister around the hospital parking lot.

"Did Trina actually do anything?" David asks me as we get to Trina's car, Tori still chasing Trina.

"Not that I'm aware of." I say, opening the back door. "Tori! Come on! Kill Trina at home!" I yell to my highly energetic girlfriend from across the parking lot.

"I swear if you did anything to my room, I will cut your body with Jade's scissors and burn the remains." Tori says as they near the car.

"Dang girl." David says to Trina, sliding into the passenger seat. "I hope you didn't do anything."

"It was a joke." Trina says as she climbs into the driver's side, putting the key in the ignition as she closes the door.

"Great, everyone pulls jokes on me." Tori says as she gets in behind her father, slamming the door.

"I'll hide the scissors. David, you hide any flammable substance you know of. Trina, you hide yourself." I tell the two Vegas in the front seat as we all put our seatbelts on. "Deal?"

"Deal." They both say when they see Tori glaring between the three of us.

**A little heads up, Doctor Wyatt is based off of the character Leo Wyatt from 'Charmed', same as Henry, Paige, and Henry Junior. I don't own them, I just invited them into the story. I made Leo a doctor because he was a medic in the military on the show, and kept the idea. Also, I updated three times this week instead of two for missing one last week.**

**Thank you for reading, and please review.**


	21. The Return of Ryder

As soon as we get home, Tori rushes out and heads to her room, leaving the front door and car door wide open.

"Did you do anything to her room?" David asks, carefully getting out of the car as Trina and I follow suit.

"No. I was just messing with her." Trina answers, locking up the door once all the doors are shut.

"Katrina Marie Vega!" We hear Tori yell from upstairs, and Trina freezes, a look of worry on her face.

"Oh, crap. I'm dead." Trina says, eyes wide in terror.

"I'll call the cops." David says, heading inside.

"Sorry Trina." I say, actually sounding concerned for her.

"Where are my new pair of boots?" Tori yells from the doorway, glaring at her elder sister.

"I never touched them, I swear." Trina says, cowering behind me.

"I know you're lying." Tori says, never letting her sister out of her sight. "Only you knew I had them, and knew where I put them."

"Babe, calm down." I say gently, slowly advancing towards her. I've never seen her this mad, and honestly, it scares me a little.

"Don't tell me to calm down." She says, glaring briefly at me before turning her attention back to Trina. "Where. Are. They?" She asks, emphasizing each word.

"In my closet behind my dance shoes." Trina says quickly, still cowering behind me.

"Don't touch my stuff again." Tori says, turning into the house and slamming the door behind her, leaving the two of us outside.

"How much did she spend on those shoes?" I ask, pulling a frightened Trina into the house after opening the door and seeing a worried David on the couch, looking from the stairs to us.

"Only 30." She says, before running to her father.

"What's going on?" He asks, now switching from his eldest daughter to me.

"Tori bought some new boots and Trina took them." I say, plopping on the other couch. "Glad to be home?" I asks sarcastically.

"I miss the hospital a little, admittedly." He says, rubbing Trina's back.

"I need a lock for my room." Tori says, sitting on the couch beside me, talking to her father.

"I'm not buying you a lock for your door." David says in a serious tone. "Trina, apologize to your sister and I never want to hear about you going into her room again, understood?"

"I really am sorry Tori. I didn't even put them on." She says, pleading to her still fuming sister.

"You're lucky dad's back, or I'd hurt you." She says, finally letting out a sigh and relaxing against me.

"Well, now that that's out of the way." David says, clapping his hands. "Who's hungry?"

"I'll order pizza." I say as David gets up. "I have an idea." I say suddenly as I pull out my Pearphone.

"What?" Tori and Trina say cautiously.

"Tori and Trina box each other." I say, dialling the number for the pizza place.

"Not happening." Tori says as Trina shakes her head no.

"I think she means on WiiSports." David says, heading into the kitchen. "Anybody thirsty?" He asks as he opens the fridge.

"Water." We all say. "And he's right." I tell the Vega sisters. "Tori, you can let your frustrations out on Trina without having to hide a body. Now shush." I say, as I fill in the pizza place on what we want and the address.

"What'd you order?" David asks, handing us out water while opening his own.

"1 pepperoni, and a meat trio. Both large." I say to him, pulling Tori up. "Now, let's see who's a better boxer." I say, turning the t.v. and Wii on, handing Tori and Trina the Wiimotes and nunchuks.

"I don't wanna." Trina says, oddly sounding like Cat.

"It's either that or David and I explain to the police why you're missing and Tori's cleaning up the blood while your body burns in the garage." I say in a monotone voice I know she hates.

"Fine." She says, grabbing the controllers.

"That's what I thought." I say, sitting beside a slightly laughing David. "Where's Carlos?" I ask as the game starts.

"Guess he left." David says as we watch the girls fight, surprisingly, Tori's winning. "Hey, whatever happened to the bet? I was hoping to see Jadelyn while I was in the hospital, but she wasn't there." He says with a half smile, knowing how I hated that bet.

"It was over while you were still in your induced coma. Round one Tori, nice." I say, the last part with a smile, before turning back to David. "Don't worry. I have some revenge planned." I say with a smirk, followed by an 'Ooh, knockout blow' from David when Trina's Mii goes down for the ten-count.

"What do you mean, revenge?" Tori asks, voice shaking slightly.

"You'll see, Victoria." I say, still smirking.

"Daddy, hide me?" She says in a child-like voice similar to Cat's.

"Sorry sweetie, but you know not to bet against Jade. Even if you win, she wins overall. It's a law."

"You're no help." She says, sitting on the opposite couch, away from us.

"He's got a point Tor." Trina says, before shutting her mouth and looking away when Tori sends her a glare.

"Get the door Trina." Tori says in a low voice after the doorbell rings.

"You've been a bad influence on my daughter." David says with a chuckle as Trina cautiously opens the door.

"That'll be $21.19." An oddly familiar male voice says from the doorway.

"Since when do you work at the pizza place?" Trina says from the doorway, clearly disgusted as she cautiously takes out the money from her purse.

"I thought I recognized the address." The voice says, sounding exhausted for some reason. "You're eating these pizzas yourself?" He adds in, a mocking tone to his voice.

"It's for my family, so leave. You have your money." Trina says, attempting to slam the door on him, stopping when his hand blocks the door from closing.

"Can't I come in? For old time sakes?" He asks, sounding condescending.

"No, Ryder. You're not welcome here." She says, and I hear Tori groan as I growl.

"I'll give you two seconds to leave before your head winds up by your car while your body stays where it is." I growl as I get to the door, grabbing the pizzas from him and turning away.

"Ah, Jade. Still a carpet-munching gank I see." He says, not realizing Carlos has walked up behind him.

"Can someone tell me why the pizza delivery guy is a douche?" He says, pulling Ryder back enough to step in.

"Carlos, meet the homophobic a-hole Ryder Daniels." Trina says, stepping in Ryder's way when he attempts to step in.

"Didn't he die?" He asks, taking the pizza from me and heading into the kitchen.

"Wrong Daniels." I say, sitting beside Tori to comfort her when I notice she hasn't moved since Ryder started talking. "You're thinking of the one from 'Scatter Shot'. Unfortunately, they're different people."

"Oh. Hey, aren't you in my class?" Carlos asks when he sees Ryder.

"No. I don't even know you."

"Yeah, you do." I say from the couch. "The photography class after lunch. You're the idiot who failed an assignment because you said you wanted to take pictures for Playboy."

"He's just jealous because women like me and not him." Ryder says with a scowl, earing laughter from me and Trina, a scoff from Tori, and a poor attempt to hide a laugh from Carlos.

"Dude, I have the numbers of the last three Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition covergirls, as well as some of the Victoria's Secret angels. What do you have?" Carlos says with a challenging glare.

"No you don't." Ryder says, pushing past Trina.

"Freeze." David says, standing up and pulling his handgun from his side, which I didn't even know he had on him. "You were not invited in, so this could be considered breaking and entering. Think wisely before taking another step."

"Hey, Kate. What's up?" Carlos says into his phone. When did he pull it out? "Here, I'll put you on speaker."

"Why'd you call me?" A female voice says from the other end of the line.

"Some douche thinks women like him, and I'm just proving to him I have the number of an SI swimsuit model."

"Who the hell is she?" Ryder says, not believing Carlos.

"My name's Kate Upton. I was on the cover of the 2012 swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated. And I would appreciate it if I wasn't called to make you look good Carlos." She says, sounding slightly angry at the end.

"Sorry, just wanted him to shut up. I'll see you later when you come to LA for the calendar shoot next week. I heard Christopher is doing you girls' make-up?" Carlos says while the rest of us stare at him in disbelief.

"Yeah, him and Alexander are doing make-up and wardrobe." Kate says, sounding like she has a smile on her face.

"Good. It'll be nice to see Alex again. I haven't seen him since I move out and he moved in with Chris."

"Yeah, it will be. I got to go, I have last minute appointments before the Victoria's Secret fashion show next week. See you next week."

"See ya Kate." He says, hanging up the phone after she does. "Are we done here?" He says, pocketing his phone.

"How do you have her number?" Ryder asks in disbelief.

"Having a gay best friend who does their make-up has helped. Especially when his fiancé is the wardrobe consultant for a lot of the shoots."

"Wait." Trina says unexpectedly from beside her father. "Why are you taking his class?" She asks Ryder. "Didn't you graduate with me last year?"

"I have to take it for college as an elective." He says, scowling at her.

"Okay, before things go out of hand." Carlos says, looking at David who still has his gun aimed at Ryder, finger close to the trigger. "I suggest you leave. Don't want your boss thinking you bailed or something."He says to Ryder, who just shrugs his shoulder.

"Whatever. At least I got a character named after me in a low budget movie." Ryder says, heading to the door.

"It wasn't low budget. It just wasn't released to the public because of the gore. And it's not a complement to have that character named after you." Carlos says, going into detail when Ryder gives him a confused glare. "He essentially gets paralyzed from the neck down early on in the movie and is forced to watch as almost every employee is murdered. The only survivor is a girl he hates, and the killer. Well, as far as the character based off of you is concerned of anyway."

"What do yo mean?" Ryder asks, facing Carlos completely.

"After the killer kills Mr. Daniels, the character based off of you, he kills himself, leaving the lone woman he let live go. Oh, that reminds me." Carlos says, turning from Ryder to me. "They are working on the sequel now, and they need someone to play Tanya's apprentice. Interested?"

"What about me?" Ryder asks from the doorway.

"Leave before horrible things happen to you." I say with a fierce glare. "And yeah, of course I am. Where's the audition?"

"Hollywood Arts. Next week." He says as David practically pushes Ryder out the door, slamming it in his face. "I recommended it. Audition's friday of next week. I'll get you the script tomorrow after school."

"Cool. Anything for Tori?" I ask, smiling at the wide eyed look she gives me.

"For a horror film, no. No openings." He says, making Tori relax.

"So, now we know where one name came from. Where did the killer's name come from?" I ask Carlos, earing surprised looks from everyone. "What?" I ask as they look at me. "From 'Scatter Shot', I recognized two of the names, but I didn't know where. I know one now, but I still don't know the other."

"Oh. Winchester is the name of not only the maker of the popular rifle company, but also the last name of the two bothers from the show 'Supernatural'. We kind of based the character off of the older brother, Dean." He says when he finally catches on to what I asked.

"Knew it was familiar." I say to myself. "Who wants to have a movie marathon? 'Scatter Shot' followed by 'The Scissoring'?" I as suddenly.

"I'm out." "Same." Tori and Trina say, grabbing a couple of slices of pepperoni pizza before heading to their rooms, knowing I'm not joking.

"Sure, why not." David says with a shrug. "I'm curious now."

"I'll grab 'Scatter Shot'. You grab 'The Scissoring'. Meet back in a minute." Carlos says to me, heading towards the stairs. "Think my cousins will me mad if I force them to watch with us?" He asks, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.

"Most definitely." I say, following him.

"I'm not involved." David says to us, waving us off.

"Understandable." Carlos says, heading up the stairs to grab the movie, I follow suit to grab my half of the movie marathon. A few minutes later, David and I turn to face the stairs when we hear Tori and Trina arguing with Carlos, who is literally dragging them downstairs.

Six hours later, we find out an answer to Carlos' question. They were pissed that he dragged them down, pissed that David and I had to hold them down, and scared shitless before 'Scatter Shot' was done, and barely saw 'The Scissoring' from behind the pillows and blankets they used to hide themselves.

**A little heads up. In an earlier chapter, I mentioned that Mr. West does something not as bad as what he did to Jade in 'New Beginning'. To me, rape, child molestation, and essentially sex crimes are the worst crimes out there, and I have no intention of putting them in this story. So the crime he commits is still horrible, but to me, it's not the worst. I just wanted to let you all know.**

**Now, a lighter note. I do plan on having Holly make at least one more appearance, but I have a question for you. When we meet her again, do you guys want her to stay how I portray her in the story, or would you like to see her act as an actual mother?**

**Thank you for reading and your reviews, and to emo_rocker101, it's good to see you again, and no hard feelings about it taking you a while to find this story.**

**Is it sad that I like the character of Cat more than I like Ariana Grande, but with the rest of the cast, I like them and their characters equally?**

**I have three other story ideas if anyone's interested in them. One is my remake of my very first story, 'Unexpected', as I have mentioned before. Another is a mermaid story which came to be thanks to the episodes 'A Witches Tail' parts 1 and 2 of 'Charmed', also where I got a few characters from, not just the ones mentioned already. And the third is a CaTorAde AU fic.**

**I already have a couple of chapters written for the mermaid and 'unexpected' remake, and plot-lines planned out. But the CaTorAde fic, not so much. All I have for that is that it will take place in Tori and Jade's college years, and Cat isn't the Cat we know. She's a young child that Tori and Jade wind up taking care of. It will be a Jori fic, with Cori and Cade friendship subplot.**

**Sorry for the long Author's Note and for not posting on Tuesday. The wifi I was using started to go down and I didn't have internet access yesterday..**


	22. The Return Of Mr West

A few days after the horror movie marathon finds David back on the job. He leaves at the same time as Tori and I do for school, apparently he's not well enough for field work, so he's on desk duty for a few weeks.

"Have fun at school, girls." He says, giving Tori and Trina a hug as he heads out, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

"See ya dad." Tori says to him, returning the hug happily.

"Stay safe girls." He says, earning 'We will' from each of us.

"I'm still mad at you." Tori says to me as we pull out of the driveway a few minutes later.

"It wasn't my idea, you know?" I ask her from the passenger seat. "Blame your cousin. It was his idea."

"I know, he gladly took the blame." She deadpans, scowling.

"Well, that's not a pretty face." I say in a joking manner.

"Don't push me Jadelyn." She says in a low voice, never looking away from the road.

"I'm kidding, relax." I say, grabbing her hand and holding it.

"You didn't exactly help things, you know? You held me down." She says a few minutes later as we pull into Hollywood Arts. "That's why I'm so mad."

"If it makes you feel any better, consider that my revenge for you making me act like a dog." I say, opening the door and grabbing my Gears of War bag from the backseat.

"You agreed to the bet, it's not my fault you thought you would win." She says, slamming her door. "You just had to be so overconfident. As it turns out, you couldn't handle what you dish out." She says, storming past me.

"Tori, wait. It's not that." I say, running to catch up to her. "What can I do to make it up to you?" I say, grabbing her elbow to stop her.

"You really want to know?" She asks, turning to face me, a smirk on her face.

"Yes. I'll do anything. Please." I say, almost begging. I've never said please to Beck, yet here I am, saying it multiple times to Tori. That has to mean something, right?

"Fine." She says, placing her hands on my shoulders. "In Sikowitz's class and lunch, you have to be Jadelyn. Just those two classes, and if you can do that, I'll forgive you."

I stare at her for a moment, not believing what she just said. "What do you mean, I have to be Jadelyn?" I ask, staring at her in confusement.

"You have to stay on all fours for Sikowitz's class, you can only respond by barking and you only respond when someone calls you 'Jadelyn'. And in lunch, you eat and drink like a dog, on the ground beside me. It's either that, or another week of being Jadelyn at home. But this time, you may not break character for anything other than getting dressed, sleeping, eating, showering, and brushing your teeth." She says, smirking darkly.

"What about bathroom?" I ask, sounding concerned.

"As a dog." She says simply.

"Fine. I'll be Jadelyn in class." I say, dropping my head. How the hell does she do this to me so easily.

"What's wrong with Jadey?" A child-like voice asks from behind me, and I recognize it instantly. Only one person sounds like that, and only she gets away with the nickname.

"Let's just say you'll be able to play with Jadelyn during Sikowitz's class and lunch today." Tori says to Cat. I look up seeing a smile on both of their faces. A bright one on Cat, and a dark one on Tori. Holy Hell, she's gonna get me killed.

"Yay! Puppy!" Cat yells, hugging Tori and me.

"It gets better." Tori says, slowly closing the two feet between us, digging in her bag. "I'm prepared." She says, stopping an inch away. I watch as she pulls out a collar and leash, including dog tag.

"What the hell are you doing with that in school?" I ask, sounding slightly afraid. I have to admit, her having those is not a coincidence.

"I planned it." She says with a smile. "Don't worry, you can get your revenge. I know you want to, but at least by the end of lunch, I'll forgive you."

"One person makes a joke, they die." I say, pulling her with me towards the school. "Put those away." I say in a whisper, grabbing the collar and leash and throwing them into her bag.

"Meet me outside of Sikowtiz's before class. Can't have my bitch off her leash you know." She says, opening the door for us.

"What did you just call me?" I ask, stopping where I stand.

"It's a female dog, relax. See you before class." She says, sounding like her usual self.

"I want to pet the puppy." Cat says with a pout after a moment of us standing there, me watching Tori at her locker.

"Don't even think about it." I say, storming to my locker. 'Soon enough.' I think to myself. 'Soon enough, I'll have my revenge.'

The morning goes by at a decent pace. By Sikowitz's class, I'm admittedly nervous for somehow being convinced to be a dog for two periods.

"What a good girl you are Jadelyn." Tori says as I near the door. "Sit." She says in a strict tone, and oddly, I sit. She takes a step forward and pulls the collar and leash out of her bag again, fastening it around my neck and keeping a good grip on the leash, leading me to the door. She opens the door and lets me in, entering soon after and letting the door close behind her.

"Did we miss something?" Beck asks from beside André, a few rows in front of where Tori and I sit. I follow her to our seats, sitting like a dog beside her chair.

"She's doing this so I won't be mad at her for making me watch 'The Scissoring' and 'Scatter Shot' a few days ago." Tori says, placing our bags on the seat beside her.

"I'm confused." André says, looking between us.

"Apparently, she, Carlos, and my dad teamed up to force Trina and me to watch them the day dad got out of the hospital. She says it was her way of revenge for me making her act like a dog before. So, to appease me, I gave her two choices. Either act as Jadelyn for class and lunch today, or act as Jadelyn for another week with less chances to be Jade." She says, petting the top of my head as if I were a real dog. "Obviously, you see what she picked."

"Can I pet the puppy now?" cat asks from beside Robbie in the front of the class.

"Of course you can Cat." Tori says with a smile as Cat stands up and runs over, rubbing my back.

"Hello class!" Sikowitz says, climbing in through the window. "Today, we are going to learn about, why is Jade on all fours?" He says, interrupting himself when he notices Jade.

"She lost a bet." Tori says, still petting my head as Cat continues to pet my back.

"Jade West lost a bet?" He asks, standing like a statue. "I didn't think that was possible." He says, smiling creepily.

"So, what are we learing about today?" Tori says, snapping the crazy teacher out of his thoughts.

"Oh, of course." He says, clapping his hands. He goes on about how actors need to learn to separate themselves from a character, and I just tune him out. Surprisingly, Tori and Cat petting me is quite soothing. I don't even notice the bell until Sikowitz yells out, "Don't forget. You and your partners must write a 5 page script due in one week."

"What script?" I ask as we leave the room, standing on two legs until I get to lunch.

"I didn't say you were Jade." Tori says, still holding the leash. "And you, me, and Cat have to write a short script. We decided on an unrequited love theme." She says, stopping by her locker to exchange her books before heading to mine, letting me do the same.

"You didn't say I had to be a dog between classes." I say, opening my locker.

"True, but let's have some fun." She says with a devious smile.

"Who will be having this fun?" I ask, putting my afternoon books in my bag and closing my locker.

"Me of course." She says, tugging on the leash. "Hey, Beck. Can you take Jadelyn to our table? I'm gonna grab our lunch." She says when she sees the Canadian heading towards the Asphalt Cafe with André.

"Sure? But if she bites me, it's on you." He says, taking the leash.

"Don't worry. If she does, I'll deal with her." She says with an unfittingly sweet smile. "Down, Jadelyn." She says, turning to face me. I comply, knowing how devious she can be lately. I smile internally because she wasn't this way until we started dating. 'She learns well.' I think to myself, following Beck with my head down, avoiding everyone's eyes when we get outside.

"Puppy!" Cat yells as we get to the table. "Here puppy." She says, a handful of bibble in front of me.

"Where'd you get the bibble?" Beck says with a sigh, sitting down beside André who went ahead to grab their lunches, a slice of pepperoni pizza and a bottle of water each.

"Carlos." She says, a smile on her face.

"Remind me to talk with him in class." Tori says, appearing behind us with our lunch. A taco salad for me, and a turkey sandwich for her, as well as water for the both of us. Unfortunately, she wasn't kidding when she said I had to eat lunch like a dog, because the water is in a bowl.

"You know she's going to kill you later, right?" André says to his best friend, avoiding my angry gaze.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sure she has a few ideas for revenge already." She says, eating her lunch. I slowly eat mine, being careful not to make a mess. "If you eat half of your taco salad as a dog, you can eat the rest as Jade, and drink the water from the bottle. Deal?" She asks, looking at me. "Bark for yes, whine for no."

"Bark." I say, unconvincingly.

"It'll do." She says, continuing her lunch. Finally, after a few minutes of careful eating, she takes the collar off. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic." I say, plopping down beside her. "Why's Henry here?" I ask as I start the rest of my lunch, looking up and seeing him coming towards us from the parking lot, a worried look on his face.

"Hey girls." He says, trying to sound relaxed.

"What's up Henry?" Tori asks, concerned.

"We found your father, Jade." He says to me, back to looking and sounding worried.

"What do you mean? How do you know about him?" I ask.

"David filled me in a while ago." He says, still standing. "It turns out he was the one who was running the meth lab we busted before. He had an informant in the barracks who assigned us to the case."

"What do you mean, had?" Tori asks, lunch forgotten by all of us at this point.

"Remember Officer Douglas?" Henry asks, sitting down when Robbie shifts to make room. He continues when Tori nods. "Your father hired him to act as a mole. He had him send us on the bust, and Douglas informed us that your father told the men inside to keep their guns ready. He wanted your father dead." He says to Tori, looking ashamed. "I will I could have helped him more."

"You saved him and gave him blood to help him. Do you know where my father is?" I ask, sneering at 'father'.

"Not yet. David is interrogating him now, finding out what he knows."

"Is that a good idea?" Tori asks, concerned for her father upon hearing the news.

"He'll be okay. There a couple of other officers in there with him." Henry says. "From what I was told before I left, Douglas hasn't ratted out where your father is yet." He says, looking between us, me at the end.

"How long ago was it since you left?" Tori asks, pouting slightly.

"Close to ten minutes." Henry says, standing up. "I need to head back to the barracks. I just thought you should be informed. Keep this information to yourselves, understood?"

"Yeah." Beck says for all of us. "This is not a good sign." He says after Henry leaves.

"Yeah, I know." I say, growling.

"What are you girls going to do?" Beck asks, worry in his eyes.

"I don't know, but I hope David and Henry find him and kill him." I say, looking straight down at the table.

"What if he comes here looking for you?" Cat asks in a sad voice, looking at me.

"I don't know. I really wish I knew, but I don't." I say, looking up.

The rest of the day goes by slowly. Photography class went by with us barely noticing. Clearly, Carlos hasn't been informed on the recent developments, and I know for a fact he wasn't filled in on what my 'father' did to me. All he was told is that I'm living with them because I have nowhere else to go, which isn't a lie, just not everything.

"Okay, you have your new assignments. They're due in a week. See you tomorrow." Carlos says after the bell rings, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"What assignment?" I ask, following Tori out the door.

"We're supposed to take photos of areas around LA that hold significance to us." Robbie answers. I look at Tori and see she's barely there, her mind must still be on the news we heard in lunch.

"Why is the deadline so long if it's just some pics like last time?" I ask, keeping my mind off of my father.

"To give us plenty of time to go to these places in our spare time and take some pics of each." Beck says, arm around André.

I get into my scriptwriting class, and like last period, I zone out. I don't even hear the bell ring until another student accidentally bumps into me on his way out. I simply glare at him, smirking when her runs out of the room. Some how, I don't even realize the day is done until Tori snaps her fingers in my face by my locker.

"Sorry. I completely zoned out." I tell her, opening my locker.

"same here. I couldn't keep my mind off of what Henry told us."

"Yeah. Ready to go?" I ask a few moments later, closing my locker.

"Yeah. Come on."

"I'll drive. You look like you can barely focus." I say, grabbing the keys out of her hand.

"Thanks." She says with a sad smile. We walk side by side to her car, opening the doors in silence. Finally, after the quick 5 minute drive, as we pull into the driveway, she speaks again. "Do you think my dad'll be okay?"

"Of course." I say, grabbing her hand before we get out of the car, releasing her hand momentarily to step out and close the door. "He'll find you where my father is, and stop him." I say, grabbing her hand again.

"I don't like this, Jade." She says, pulling me into a hug and crying.

"He won't hurt us. Not anymore." I whisper to her, holding her in a tight embrace. We release each other long enough to go in, closing the door behind us. "You want something to drink?" I ask her as we step in.

"Water please." She says, eyes down.

"Okay. Go upstairs. I'll be there in a minute." I tell her, giving her a kiss on the cheek as she heads up, giving me a small smile as she does. I grab two bottles of water from the fridge and go to head up, when there's a knock on the door. I set my bag on the couch and the waters on the table as I pass through the living room, opening the front door, frozen at who's on the other side.

"Hello Jadelyn."

"Dad?" I ask, unmoving.

**I have a thing for cliffhangers apparently. Sorry for this, by the way. Don't worry, Mr. West won't do anything. He won't get the chance. And I know Ryder wasn't a big part of the last chapter, but unfortunately, we will see him again soon. I have the chapter with him seen again planned a little, so all I have to do is build up the story to that point.**

**Thank you for reading, and I appreciate the reviews. I mentioned before that I was going to delete my story 'Unexpected' when I post the remake, but I decided to keep it up. I may post the first chapter of the remake soon, but I'm still working on some of the chapters to get a story flow going.**


	23. The Return Of The Nightmare

I stand in the doorway, frozen at the sight of my father, remembering what he did to me.

"Didn't think I would find you, did you?" He asks, taking a step forward, causing me to take a step back, keeping the distance.

"Why are you here? The cops are looking for you." I say, not noticing how far he has entered.

"They can't touch me." He says with a sneer. "They have no proof I did anything, just the lies of a little girl." He says, glaring at me.

"But they know about the drugs and your mole." I say in a quiet voice, tripping over the living room table.

"You think I don't know that?" He says, smirking. "You think I would be stupid enough to let someone I hired to get caught without having something planned?" He says, still advancing towards me.

"What?" I ask in disbelief. "You wanted him to get caught?"

"Of course. Too bad the cop survived the shootout, but oh well. I'll get him soon." He says in a dark tone.

"What do you mean?" I ask, scrambling off the couch.

"You'll see." He says, stopping a foot in front of me.

"Jade? What's taking so long?" I hear Tori yell from upstairs.

"I'll be up in a bit, just checking on something." I say back, loud enough for her to hear.

"Was that the dyke that turned you against me?" He asks, sneering.

"Don't call her that!" I say, growling at his choice of words.

"Ooh, protective are we?" He says with a low laugh, putting his right arm behind his back, placing his hand under his jacket. "I wonder how you'll act with this to your head?" He asks, pulling a handgun out and aiming it at me.

"Please don't." I say quietly, backing away slowly.

"Not so tough now, are you you bitch? You ruined my life." He says, walking towards me again, eyes full of hatred.

"Are you okay Jade? I heard voi..." I hear, turning my head when I see Tori on the staircase, eyes wide in terror and anger. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asks, gripping the banister tightly.

"Looks like we have another person for the fun." He says with a smirk, glancing between the two of us. "You know, your precious dyke bitch here is the cause of all of this." He says to me, glancing at Tori briefly.

"You're the reason all of this is happening." Tori says, slowly walking down the stairs.

"Tori don't!" I yell at her. "Run upstairs, don't let yourself get hurt because of me."

"Aw, how cute." He says, aiming the gun at Tori. "I don't think she'll listen to you. She tries to run, I put a bullet in her head."

"I don't think so." We turn our attention to the doorway, where Henry's standing, his gun aimed at my father.

"Who the hell are you?" My father says, sneering at Henry now.

"The partner of the guy you tried to kill." He says casually, watching the gun in my father's hand.

"How?" I ask, watching Henry and my father.

"Douglas let something slip." Henry says, smiling slightly. "He told us you were planning on paying a visit to your daughter when she got out of school. We figured he wasn't supposed to say it because with everything else he let slip, he didn't react. But with that, he freaked out. David sent me to check up on you girls while he stays and interrogates Douglas some more." He says, answering me.

"So what are you going to do? Shoot me?" My father says in a mocking tone. "Go ahead, shoot me." He says, dropping his gun. "Can't shoot an unarmed man."

"With the crimes against you, and the fact that I highly doubt you were invited in, I don't see a problem." Henry says, shooting my dad in the right shoulder after he notices Tori discretely drag me away.

"You bastard!" My father says, going for his gun.

"Don't even think about it." Henry says, running in, gun still aimed at my father. "I didn't come alone." He says, as two more cops come in from the front door, running towards my father, assault rifles aimed at him.

"Michael West, you are under arrest for the rape of Jadelyn West, attempted murder of a member of the LAPD, and drug trafficking." One of the cops says, pulling his arms behind his back and handcuffing him.

"Don't forget having a gun while on parole." Tori says from beside me, catching everyone's attention. "Dad told me he was on parole." She says when the others give her a questioning look.

"She's right." The other cop, the female, says, looking over a small PearPad she has with her.

"Good, one more charge to add to the list." Henry says, hoisting up my father by the arm that was just shot.

"This isn't over." My father says as he's led out the door. "I'll get out soon." He says with a smirk as the two cops lead him out.

"Hold your breath until then." Henry says to him, pushing him forward. "You okay?" He asks me as we hear the car drive away.

"I think." I say with a fake smile. "Thank you." I tell him, looking down and holding Tori close.

"He can't touch you now." She says in a soothing tone, rubbing my back. "He's gone now."

"You girls gonna be okay?" Henry asks us from the doorway.

"Yeah." Tori says, giving him a grateful smile. "We'll be fine."

"Okay. I need to head back to the station to fill out the report. Your dad will be back soon." Henry says, the last part to Tori. "Call your friends. You don't want to be alone right now."

"We will. Thanks for rushing over." Tori tells him. I remain silent. Seeing him again brought back everything he did, and I have a bad feeling his parting message wasn't a threat, but a warning.

**This is the second part of four where we see Mr. West again, leading up to the last time we see him. We'll see Ryder again as well soon, also for the final time.**

**Thank you for the reviews, and input on how Holly should be seen when she comes back, and you all seem to agree to keep her as is, so I will.**


	24. The Nightmare Continues

**I haven't done this in a while, so I'm doing it again:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VicTORIous, just Carlos. If I somehow managed to own it, Beck and Jade wouldn't have gotten back together in 'Jade Dumps Beck', Jori would have been together by 'A Christmas Tori', and 'Tori Fixes Beck And Jade' would have been fixing the friendship, not relationship.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter of 'Continuation'.**

Tori and I sit in her room, silence all around. David came home shortly after Henry left, apologizing to us for not getting the information quick enough. We told him it was okay before he started rambling, assuring him that we're fine now. Well, as fine as we can be anyways. The rest of the day was spent like that. During dinner, he apologized again, assuring us that we would have police escorts whenever we leave the house, and we calmed him down, telling him it wasn't needed. We heard that my 'father' was getting life for what he's done, even though there hasn't been a court session yet. When I asked about it, David told us that it wouldn't change anything.

A few weeks have passed since the incident. David keeps us posted on news of my 'father' on a regular basis. He wasn't kidding about the escorts. On the way to school, there's a cop car in front of us, and one behind us. And while we're in school, there are guards with us. They keep their distance, but it's creepy knowing they're watching us. Luckily, since they're men, the don't follow us into the bathrooms.

"Do you think they'll ever leave us alone?" Tori asks me during lunch, eyeing our guards from across the Asphalt Cafe.

"I hope so." I say, ignoring the guards as I eat my burrito. "I think David's gonna give us female guards soon." I say, sounding slightly irritated.

"What makes you say that?" Beck asks from beside me, taking a bite of his pizza. Our friends were informed on why Tori and I were being followed, because we knew they'd ask about it sooner or later.

"Carlson over there told him we visit the bathroom too much." I say, indicating one of the guards. "And Orton there thinks we're sneaking off."

"He's kinda right though." André says, earning slight nods of agreement from Cat and Robbie. Beck and Tori are smart enough not to acknowledge it.

"What are you insinuating?" I ask him with a glare, fighting the urge to laugh when he flinches.

"Jade, calm." Tori says, using the voice she reserves for me when I some how get forced to be 'Jadelyn'. Don't ask, I'll just say she's smarter than she led on originally.

"Don't you dare laugh at that." I say, glaring at Beck now who's fighting laughter. "I don't like what your best friend insinuated, that's it." I say, facing Tori.

"Well, he's got a point." Robbie says, chiming in. "You two do have to 'visit the bathroom' an awful lot."

"Don't test me Shapiro." I say, now glaring at him.

"Okay, this isn't going to end well." Tori says with a sigh. "We just want to be alone, that's it." She says, looking at them. "They won't give us space, so we take advantage of what we can."

"Are you two having a quickie in the bathrooms?" Cat asks innocently. "My brother once said he had a quickie, but I don't know what that is. He wouldn't tell me. What's a quickie?" She says, barely breathing.

"It's nothing you need to worry about and no, we aren't." I say, smiling at her. "She won't let me." I say with a smirk, laughing when Tori hits my shoulder while hiding a blush.

"Shut up!" She says, looking down.

"Chill out, I'm just messing with you." I say, giving her a quick kiss. "So, anyone know why Carlos had us form teams last yesterday?" I ask, turning my attention to everyone else, eating my lunch.

"I think he said we're doing a video project." Beck says, finishing his pizza.

"I thought he didn't want us doing video?" Robbie asks, finishing his sandwich.

"Maybe he wants us to broaden our horizons?" André says, sipping his water.

"Don't look at me. I learned not to figure out what our assignments are." Tori says, holding up her hands in surrender.

"Why, what'd he do?" André asks with amused smile.

"He recorded the sound from 'Scatter Shot' and put it on my PearPod under the playlist 'Katy Perry', knowing I listen to her sometimes before going to bed." She says, frowning.

"Wait, that's why you were freaking out last week?" I ask, trying not to laugh. "You freaked my out."

"It's not funny. I can't listen to Katy now without freaking out." She says, still pouting.

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Robbie says, unsure.

"Trust me, it is." I say, staring at him. "By sound alone, it makes 'The Scissoring' sound like a Disney film."

"I don't wanna watch that movie." Cat says, gripping Robbie.

"Relax, Flare Burst." Carlos says, appearing from behind us and sitting, a can of Mountain Dew in hand. "I have one of the few copies in LA, and I doubt anyone here would make you watch it." He says, opening the can.

"Oh, look, Carlos has Mountain Dew. What a surprise." I say, taunting him. Lately it's become a game where the two of us try to mess with each other about our drinks of choice and getting the other to freak out. I win most of them.

"At least mine doesn't look like liquid poop." He says with a smirk, taking a sip.

"That's low." I say, glaring at him.

"I play dirty sometimes." He says, unaffected by the glare. "So, what are we talking about and why is a cop staring at me?" He asks, noticing Carlson and Orton watching him.

"We're trying to figure out what our next project is for your class, and the cops are here making sure no harm comes to Tori and Jade." Beck says casually.

"Oh. You'll find out about the project in class. Lest I get you the same way I did Little Star here when she tried to figure it out and failed."

"It won't effect me. By the way, congratulations, you won the challenge this time." I say, still glaring at him for his comment about my coffee.

"Want to bet?" He says with a smirk. "Listen to your 'Evanescence' playlist."

"What did you do?" Tori asks, sounding slightly scared. "Relax, it's nothing to worry about." She adds in when Carlson and Orton get up and start walking towards us.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY PEARPOD!?" I yell when I hear Justin Beiber instead of Amy Lee.

"That's for calling Mountain Dew 'heated pigs and goat urine.'" He says with his smirk still intact.

"You're dead." Andre says, stifling his laughter.

"I know. I still can't think of a nickname for you guys." He says, changing the subject while talking to the three guys.

"I. Will. Kill. You." I say, growling out each word. That's just cruel and unusual punishment, putting that in place of Evanescence.

"Guess it'll have to wait." He says after the bell rings to end lunch. "See you six in class." He says, getting up quickly and heading inside.

"Coward." I say under my breath, causing Tori to elbow me as she stands up.

"I heard that." Carlos says as he continues his walk.

"You were supposed to." I say, grabbing my bag and Tori's and my lunch to throw them away.

"One of these days, he might not let you get away with messing with him." Tori tells me as we head into the school, going towards the photography class.

"He won't do anything to hurt me. He knows you'd hate him." I say, opening the door for her.

"How come when we were dating, you never held the door open for me?" Beck says, following Tori and me in.

"Because you were the guy in the relationship. Now, I'm the guy. The guy opens the door for the girl." I say, taking my seat.

"That reminds me." Tori says, taking the seat beside me. "Which of you two is the dude?" Tori asks Beck and André, turning to face them.

"That's a good point. I say Andre's the dude." I say, turning as well.

"Why can't both of us be the dude?" André asks.

"And what makes me the girl?" Beck asks, sounding curious.

"The hair." Tori and I say at the same time, earing laughter from Cat and André. Robbie just looks confused and Beck looks annoyed.

"Are we done with our conversation now?" Beck asks, still annoyed as the bell rings.

"For now." I say, turning back to the front of the class, laughing.

The rest of the day goes by well. Beck was right, Carlos had us team up to shoot a video. The assignment is that we pick a song and shoot a music video for it. One person is the director, one is the videographer, one or two are the singers, and the others do whatever else the director asks them to do. We decide to do 'I Kissed A Girl' by Katy Perry, with Tori being the singer, Beck's the director, Andre's shooting the video, I'm in the video as well, for obvious reasons, and Cat and Robbie are extras and help with other stuff.

I drive Tori and I home, walking in to see David sitting at the table with a blank look on his face.

"Is something wrong dad?" Tori asks him, taking the seat beside him.

"Henry called awhile ago." He says, sounding worried.

"What did he have to say?" I ask, sounding worried myself now.

"You're father was released. We don't know how, but he's out." David says, looking at me.

"How can that be?" Tori asks, standing up.

"We don't know." David says, looking at his daughter. "Henry and the others are doing everything they can to find out. I was sent home to keep an eye on you girls." He says, standing up and facing his daughter. "He won't touch you. Either of you. I promise." He says, pulling me close and giving Tori and I a tight hug.

**We're about the see Mr. West for the last time. Don't worry, he won't be touching the girls. In case anyone is wondering, and/or remembers, I made three things set for this story. The first was that Mr. West does something less horrible than what he did to Jade in 'New Beginning', which was the drug dealing and attempted murder of David Vega. The second was that someone will wind up in the hospital, and even though I originally planned it to be Holly, It became David. The last was that Ryder will get hurt by two people close to Tori and Jade, and I know who they will be. I won't give names though. This story will be roughly 30 chapters, with the next being the last of Mr. West, and the next two or three to get Ryder taken care of. We will also see Holly again after Mr. West is done for.**

**Now, I have some announcements. I have 5 story ideas, other than the three I already have posted. They are 'VicTORIous N.C.I.S.', which is a Jori story where I use VicTORIous characters in place of the N.C.I.S. characters; 'FairyWood Academy', which was originally going to be kind of like Winx Club,with good versus evil essentially, but I changed it so it's basically the show with the characters as Fairies; 'Mermaid's Tale', which is an AU with Tori as a mermaid; my remake of 'Unexpected', and I won't really explain that yet because it's still in progress, sorry; And my CaTorAde family fic which doesn't have a name yet, so if anyone has any ideas, I'm open to suggestion. After I'm done with this fic, I'm gonna start posting 'Mermaid's Tale', while finishing my crossover 'A New Beginning, A Freddie And cat Story'. Other than that, I don't know how often I'll be posting any of the other stories. My collection of one-shots, 'Confessions', will still continue as well.**

**Sorry for the long author's note. Thank you for reading and I appreciate the reviews. I made this chapter a little more humorous because I wanted to put in a bit of a break from the seriousness for a bit, but it will return next chapter.**


	25. The End Of The Nightmare part 1

That night, Tori and I stay in her room. Carlos and Trina came home a few hours after we heard the news and were informed as well. Trina freaked out at first, trying to get some information out of David, but there was nothing he could say because he was unable to share any information. After her freak out, she ran up to Tori's room and stayed with us to try to relax us as best she could. It was appreciated, even though we all knew there was nothing she could really do. I don't know about Carlos. I knew he was back around the same time as Trina, but I haven't seen him. Trina told us he came home shortly after her, but she hasn't seen him since.

During dinner that night, Carlos still hasn't been seen. From what David told us, shortly after he heard the news, he headed up to his room, then came back down shortly after, not saying anything to anyone. David tried to stop him, but he rushed out without a word. Dinner was quiet, other than when David filled us in on Carlos and that he hasn't heard anything else about my dad.

After dinner, the four of us head upstairs, David heading towards his room, Trina to hers, and Tori and I head to hers.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" Tori asks me, her legs over my lap, holding me in a tight embrace with her head on my shoulder as we sit on her bed.

"I wish I knew." I say, holding her as tight as she holds me. "I have a feeling out bodyguards will increase though." I say with a sigh.

"I know." She says, sighing as well. "It was bad enough with the ones before, now we're gonna have more."

"Do you know how he could have gotten out?" She asks after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"No, I don't. There should have been no way he got out. With what he did in the past, plus the drugs and everything." I say in disbelief.

"Hey girls." David says after knocking on the door, opening it after Tori says 'Come in.'.

"Hey dad." Tori says with a sad tone as I wave to him.

"I just got off the phone with the precinct and your school." He says, sitting on Tori's desk chair. "For a few days, I want you two to stay home, where there will be a few guards watching around, some inside with me." He says, leaning forwards slightly.

"What do you mean?" I ask, keeping Tori close.

"I talked to the principle at Hollywood Arts, and she agrees that it's best for you two to stay out of such a public place for a few days, until we can get a trace on your father." He says, the last part to me.

"I guess. It makes sense." I say, rubbing Tori's shoulders.

"Have you heard from Carlos yet?" She asks, shifting slightly to face her father.

"No, not yet." David says. "All I know is when he ran out, he was mumbling something under his breath. I couldn't hear what he said clearly though."

"Did he have anything with him when he left?" I ask, curious.

"Not that I noticed." David says, standing up. "I'm gonna head to bed. It's getting late." He says.

"Night dad." Tori says, standing up and giving her father a tight hug.

"Night David." I say, giving him a hug as well.

"Night girls. I'll be here with you two over the next few days. Henry said he'll keep his ears opened and if he hears anything, he'll let me know." He says, heading out out the door.

"See ya." Tori says, giving him another hug.

"So, now what?" I ask as the door closes, both of us taking the same position we were in when David stopped in.

"I wish I knew." She says as there's another knock on the door. "Come in." She says, loud enough for it to be heard through the door.

"Hey sis." Trina says, opening the door.

"Hey." I say when Trina takes a step in. "What are you up to?"

"Worrying." She says, sitting beside us.

"We can relate." Tori says with an emotionless smile. "I hope they find him soon and get rid of him."

"I know, same here." Trina says as I nod in agreement.

"Have you heard from Carlos yet?" I ask Trina, hoping she might have heard something.

"Kind of." Trina says, shifting slightly. "I talked to him briefly before he left."

"What did he say?" Tori asks, facing her sister slightly.

"He said he's getting help. He wouldn't explain though." She says, looking worried.

We sit in silence for a few moments before Trina stands up, heading back to her room to get some sleep. After we say 'night' to each other, Trina closes the door and Tori and I lay down, cuddling with each other.

"I hate your father." Tori says in a low tone as we try to relax enough to get some sleep.

"So do I." I say, holding her close. "So do I." I repeat as we slowly start to drift off into sleep.

The next morning, we wake up within a few minutes of each other, still cuddling.

"Morning." She says, not smiling like she usually does in the morning.

"Morning." I say on the same tired tone as her. "How'd you sleep?" I ask, shifting so I'm sitting up.

"I don't think I actually slept." She says, shifting into the same position as me. "I couldn't get the news out of my head."

"I know the feeling." I say, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her close to me.

"Hey sis. Jade." We turn our attention to Trina, who we didn't realize opened the door and stepped in.

"Hey Trina." Tori says, holding me tight. "What's up?"

"Carlos is back." She says with a worried smile. "And he brought a friend."

"Why do you sound like that? When did he get back?" I ask as Tori sends her sister a confused look.

"He came back earlier today, and I'm worried because this 'friend' of his doesn't look too nice." Trina says, sitting down on the bed by us. "She just stands there, looking at everything like she expects someone or something to jump out. She freaks me out."

"What's her name?" Tori asks, shifting slightly.

"I don't know. She's downstairs with Carlos and dad." She says, standing up. "Anyway, dad wants to talk to you guys. Take a shower and get dressed, he says it's important." She says, giving us comforting hugs before leaving.

"What do you think he wants to talk about?" Tori asks, getting up and heading towards her dresser and grabbing a pair of underwear and bra.

"I don't know." I say, getting out of bed as well.

"I hope he has news already." She says, grabbing a pair of loose-fitting jeans from her dresser and a t-shirt from her closet.

"Same here." I say, heading over to her. "I'll be back. I'm going to grab a change of clothes and take a shower. I'll meet you back here in a bit." I say, wrapping my hands around her waist and kissing the side of her head.

"See you soon." She says, leaning into the hug. We remain like this for a few more minutes before slowly releasing her and going towards the door. "Make it fast." She says, giving me a quick kiss.

"You too." I say, smiling at her before leaving and heading towards my room to grab my clothes and take a shower. Fifteen minutes later, Tori and I are dressed and freshly showered, sitting at the kitchen table.

"How's your morning so far girls?" David says, sitting across from us.

"Nothing really worth mentioning. We've only been up for close to twenty minutes." I say quietly.

"Understandable." He says, getting up and going over to the coffee maker and pouring himself and me a cup of coffee, handing me mine on his way.

"Thanks." I say with a small smile. "No offense, but why did you ask us to come down?" I ask, sipping my coffee.

"Carlos here," He says, indicating to Carlos who's sitting in the living room with a woman, chatting quietly with each other. I can't see her face, only her long, black hair. "Was busy last night. The woman with him is a bounty hunter, apparently, and they've been working on finding Michael West." He says, showing little emotion.

"Why do you make it sound like it's not a good thing?" Tori asks, looking between her cousin and father.

"Well, I'm a little worried having a bounty hunter here when there's no bounty on Mr. West." David says, leaning forward slightly. "And from what I heard them talking about earlier, she's here as a favor to him, not business."

"I acted as an informant a while ago, and the bounty wasn't easy to find, so she and her team needed outside help to find him." Carlos says, sitting down beside his uncle as the mystery woman sits down close to Tori and me.

"I owed him a favor for the assist and when he told me about the situation, I was glad to help." The mystery woman says.

"This is a friend of mine, Jordan." Carlos says, leaning forwards slightly. "She and her team have worked throughout the night, and they think they've found him."

"Where is he?" I ask, looking at Jordan with an eager look.

"He's taken post by Venice Beach." She says, looking straight into my eyes.

"The beach house." I say when realization strikes. "I forgot we still had that."

"You know where it is?" Carlos asks, sounding more serious than I thought he could.

"Yeah. I visited it with him and my mother a few years ago while they were in the middle of the divorce. I thought she got it, but maybe not." I say, looking down for not thinking of it sooner.

"He's not alone, either." Jordan says after a moment of silence. "My team informed me a while ago that there are at least three others, one at each door."

"Jordan and I were going over possible ideas on how to get Mr. West out, but we couldn't think of anything good." Carlos says, getting up and heading towards the fridge. "Here." He says, sitting back down with a couple of bags from the fridge, taking out breakfast sandwiches from them and handing them to each of us. "Where's Katrina?" He asks, setting one off to the side.

"I don't know." Tori says, looking around. "She told us you were waiting for us and left my room so we could get ready." She says, looking at her dad.

"I think I say her in her room a while ago when I went up to my room." Carlos says, looking towards the stairs.

"Want me to get her?" I ask, swallowing some of the sandwich.

"No, I think I hear her." David says, looking to the stairs when we hear Trina coming down. "You okay?" He asks as she sits down.

"Can't stop worrying about Tori and Jade." She says with a sad smile.

"We know the feeling." I say, not looking away from Tori.

"So, what were we talking about?" Trina asks, accepting the breakfast sandwich from Carlos.

"We know where Michael West is." Jordan says, smirking. "And we're going after him soon."

"As amazing as it is to finally get rid of him," I say, leaning forward, "How did you find him so fast?"

"Me and my team are all over California." Jordan says, a proud smile on her face.

"I thought a team of bounty hunters was small? At most five or six people on average?" David asks, looking at Jordan with confusion.

"Our team consist of anyone and everyone we know we can trust. If you help us a few times, we consider you a member of the team." She answers.

"I'm confused." Tori says, looking to Jordan. "You said you were returning a favor to Carlos for helping."

"Okay, what's confusing?" Jordan asks.

"Why do you owe him a favor? It's like you'd owe everyone who helps." Tori says, confused.

"It's more that we're familiar with the 'incident', and when he called us, we were glad to help." Jordan says, eyes down slightly. "My team and I have dealt with more sex crime victims than I like. We love taking them down, and Michael West is no different." She says, locking eyes with me.

"Thank you." I say, smiling slightly.

"We're waiting on word that her team is ready before we act, and when they call, we're going." Carlos says, indicating Jordan and himself.

Before I can protest, Jordan's phone goes off in a text, and after she finishes reading it, she looks up with a smirk, saying two words as she stands up.

"Let's roll."

**Part one of two of the last of Mr. West. To Jay aka Jordan, I hope it's okay that I made you a bounty hunter instead of a guard. The next chapter will be up on friday, and will be the end of Mr. West.**

**Thank you for your reviews and for reading.**


	26. The End Of The Nightmare Part 2

"Let's roll." Jordan says as she stands up, grabbing a duffel from beside the couch on her way to the door, Carlos close behind.

"What about us?" I ask, getting up as well.

"You two stay here with David." Jordan says, turning to face us before opening the door.

"No, fuck that." I say, advancing towards her. "I'm not gonna sit on my ass and twiddle my thumbs, waiting to hear about what happens." I say, angry. "I want to be there to watch it." I say, getting into her face.

"Listen here little girl." She says, sounding ominous. "With the firefight about to happen, we don't want you or Tori anywhere near us when it goes down. The two of you will stay here, with David and Trina, while my team and I take this bastard down." She says, slowly walking towards me, causing me to walk backwards. "You're safest here, and that's what matters." She says, stopping an inch away from me as the back of my knees hit the side of the couch.

"Jade, she has a point." Tori says, walking up to me and putting her arms around me. "Let them take care of it. They know what they're doing."

"What about Carlos though?" Trina asks, stepping towards us. "He doesn't use guns, so how can he help?" She asks, sounding worried.

"Lookout." Carlos says, stepping forward. "I'll be in a car a good distance away so Michael and his goons don't see me. I'll be with a few members of her team. I talked to the L.A.P.D. and they agreed to let me go ahead and take photos as Michael gets dragged out of his safe house. Her team will have guns in case anything happens and it's needed."

"Come on. Let's go." Jordan says, going to the door. "Carlos will have a radio on him, sending David updates as they happen. We'll get this bastard, and he won't get away again."

"Thank you." I say to Jordan again, earning a nod from her as she leaves the house. "Get this bastard quickly." I tell Carlos as he follows Jordan out the door.

"Gladly." He says with a smirk, closing the door behind him.

-Carlos POV-

"How much longer Jay?" I ask into the radio.

"We're close." She answers. "You guys will be in location soon. We're continuing on until we get close enough to spot the house. You have your binocs ready?" She asks as the driver of the SUV I'm in takes a turn.

"Yep. Looks like we're close to the ridge now. I got eyes on the house now. I'll be focused soon." I say, grabbing the military issue binoculars from the duffel and getting ready.

"Got it." She says. I hear her talking briefly to her team on her end before the chatter stops.

"Let's get this bastard." Natasha, one of the newest members of Jordan's teams says from the driver's seat, climbing out of the car. She was picked to drive the recon team in because she's not comfortable with combat yet, and she's more than willing to watch for now.

"You ready?" I ask her, noting how nervous she looks.

"Yeah. First field time, a little nervous." She admits with a shaky smile.

"Relax, Tasha." One of the two remaining members of the recon team, Dean, states. "We got your back." He says as he takes out his assault rifle, checking the clip.

"No offense, but why are you here?" Sam, Dean's younger brother and the final member, asks me.

"Check perimeter, catch the bastard on film." I state, putting the binocs to my eyes and checking the house. "Looks good so far. Just the two goons outside. I can't tell on the other side of the house though, but from the eyewitness report, there are no doors or windows on that side that he can use to escape, so I think we're good." I say into the radio after a few moments of scanning.

"Copy that." Jordan says after a moment. "I got a team on that side anyways, just in case. Can you see Michael through any of the windows or anything?" She asks as I hear what sounds like gun clips being checked on her end.

"I see a male figure inside. Too hard to tell who it is. He's located in the living room, cigar in hand." I report back.

"Got it, moving in." Jordan says. I watch from my vantage point and see her and her team getting out of the SUV's, shotguns and rifles in hand. I see one of her team aim a gun at one of the guards, taking him out with ease. The shot must've been loud enough for the other to hear, because I spot him rushing to the front.

"You got company. The other's on his way." I say into the radio. I glance behind me and see Sam and Dean watching our surroundings cautiously, and Natasha watching through a pair of binocs of her own, watching what goes down.

"How are things so far?" I hear from the radio Jordan gave me as we left the house earlier.

"Good. They took out the first guard, and they're waiting for the second to come into view." I say into the radio to Uncle David, keeping watch on the house.

"I have visual on Michael." Natasha says from beside me. "It is him in the house. There are at least two other guards inside with him." She states, giving me a concerned look.

"Jordan, we got confirmation on Michael. He is in the living room, and Natasha says she sees two, maybe more, guards with him." I say into the radio to Jordan, filling her in.

"Got it." She says, and a moment later, the second guard finally makes himself known and is taken out. I notice that both times, they weren't kill shots, but were still able to take them out of the equation.

"second guard down. Two or more inside with Michael." I say to my uncle.

"Got it. Thanks." He says as I hear Jordan tell the brothers to turn on the monitor from one of their radios.

"Monitor?" I ask, looking between the other three briefly before watching the house again.

"They have cameras on their guns." Natasha states as one of the brothers grabs a laptop and turns it on, placing it by Natasha. "Figured we'd like to watch it go down."

"Nice thinking." I say, handing her the radio patched in to David. "Fill in for me, will ya?" I ask her as she grabs the radio with a questioning look.

"Sure." She says, taking the radio. "Mr. Vega?" She says into the radio.

"Yes? Who is this?" David asks cautiously.

"My name's Natasha. I'm a member of Jordan's team. Carlos asked me to fill you in on what's going on so his focus can be on the house without worry." She says, watching the monitor.

"How are things so far?" He asks.

-Natasha POV-

"They're slowly working the way in. There's a team going towards the side door, as Jordan and the others head for the front." I respond, relaying everything I see from the binoculars and the monitor. "There are two guards with Mr. West, and two more in the adjoining room." I say, watching as Carlos tells the new information to Jordan. "The two guards in the other room were taken out already. West must have hired some pathetic people." I say, the last part more to myself than anyone else, earning slight laughter from the three guys.

-Jordan POV-

After Bravo team takes out the two guards hidden in the side room, we slowly advance towards the living room. I hear Carlos mention that there are no other guards that he can see, and Natasha agrees. We meet up with Bravo team at the door to the living room, getting situated. I shoot the lock on the door and crouch down as Daniel, leader of Bravo team, kicks the door in. A few members of the teams stick back as the rest of us aim our guns up and take a few shots at the guards, taking the down simply.

"I figured with the money you have, you'd be able to hire some top notch bodyguards." I say, stepping in and staring at a stunned Michael West.

"Who are you and how did you get in?" He demands, jumping from his seat and running behind the couch, grabbing a shotgun.

"Drop the gun." I say as my team and I raise our guns on him. I fight my laughter when he looks like he just pissed himself. "You're under arrest. Again." I say, lowering my gun and stepping towards him. "I really did hope this would be more exciting." I mumble to myself. Before I can take a step, however, he aims his shotgun at me.

"Don't move bitch." He snarls out. Before he can say or do anything else, Daniel shoots his shoulder, causing West to drop the gun, letting out a shout in pain.

"Nice shot Daniel." I say causally, walking up to West. "You know West, you disappoint me. I thought your guards would put up a fight, but the dropped easily." I say, forcefully pulling the arm that Daniel shot, which I notice is also the one that was shot before. "Now, you're going back to prison, but this time, you are never getting out." I say, pulling his arm again as I grab his other arm and cuff him.

"I'll get out again. You can't keep me there forever." He says, laughing.

"Well, with who you hired, I think you're wrong." Daniel says, checking one of the 'guards'.

"What do you mean?" I ask, pushing West forward.

"They're wielding illegal guns, and are known associates to drug cartels." He says, standing up from one of the guards.

"Same with the other three in here." Jack, an ex-marine, states after coming back from checking the others. "From what I saw on the two outside, same thing." He says, standing in the doorway. "This was a really boring mission." He states in a bored tone.

"I know." I state, still dragging West. "Anyone up for a drink?" I ask as we leave the house.

"Can't." Jack says, throwing West in the back of the SUV, slamming the door. "Anniversary with the wife. Not missing that." He says, locking the back and stepping into the passenger seat as Daniel takes the driver seat.

"Tell her we say 'hi'." I say, getting into the driver seat of the other SUV. "Carlos, we got him. Meet you back at your place in a couple hours or so." I say into the radio as I start the car.

"Got it." He says. "The brothers are heading to the base. Natasha became friends with Tori somehow, and wants to meet her. That okay with you?"

"Sure. See you in a bit." I say, pulling away.

-Jade POV-

We wait patiently in the living room. We heard Natasha mention that they were on the way in, but that was it. Somehow, Tori took over the radio when David went to use the restroom, and didn't give the radio back. Her and Natasha made small talk during the uncomfortable silences, and became friends.

Finally, after close to three hours after the last transmission, we hear a car in the driveway.

"Did he really piss himself?" Carlos asks with a laugh as he, Jordan, and some mystery brunette walk in.

"I couldn't really tell, but it looked like it." Jordan says with a laugh, closing the door behind the three of them.

"What's so funny?" David asks as Carlos and the mystery brunette take seats on the other couch with David, and Jordan heads back out for a moment.

"Jordan says she thinks Michael pissed himself when they were about to arrest him." The brunette says, hiding her laughter. "I'm Natasha, I was the one who took over for Carlos." She says, holding her hand out for a handshake when we give her confused looks.

"Oh, ok." Tori says, shaking her hand. "What made him almost pee himself?" She asks, sitting down beside me.

"He pulled a shotgun on me and me and my team pulled our guns on him. Can you picture 8 guns aimed at your face, 6 of which are assault rifles to your shotgun?" Jordan says, re-joining us.

"I would have loved to see his face." I say, stifling my laughter.

"Here you go." Jordan says, taking out a picture from her jacket pocket and handing it to me. I laugh when I see it.

"How the hell did you get this?" I ask while laughing, showing the picture to Tori.

"It's a still from the camera I had attached to my rifle." Jordan says, sitting down beside us. "I was going over the footage to give the cops when we stopped for gas and saw that. Thought it was funny so I sent the footage to our tech specialist out our base and asked him to print that screenshot out. I stepped out because he told me he was here to drop it off. It's yours. I have a copy in my car." She says, not bothering to hide her laughter.

"So you got him?" Tori asks as the laughter dies down.

"We got him. The only time you'll see him again is if you go to visit him, which I don't even think he's allowed. No visitors, mail, nothing." Jordan says with a proud smile.

"Thank you so much." Tori says, giving her a hug.

"Yeah, she's a hugger." I say while Jordan returns the hug.

"I can tell." Jordan says with a smile. "I should go. Call me later if you need a ride, okay Tasha?" She says, standing up.

"Okay. See you later Jay." Natasha says, shaking her hand.

"So, Natasha, can you please tell me how you and my cousin became friends so quickly?" Carlos asks from beside the brunette.

"That's a trade secret, sorry." Natasha says with a smile, laughing when Carlos gives her a confused look. "So, tell me about how you and Jade got together."

**Not a cliffhanger, just wanted to end it there. If the action and everything wasn't up to par, I apologize. I was never good at writing action scenes. All OC's, minus Jordan, Sam, and Dean, are of my own imagination. Sam and Dean are the characters from Supernatural. Natasha is just a temporary character that I introduced for the fun of it, and my be seen again later. Daniel and Jack are just characters I thought of to have. Daniel is not the Daniel from the show, just thought I should let that be know. If anyone has any questions about anything, feel free to ask.**

**Next chapter, we will see Holly again, and things won't go well. After that, we will see the last of Ryder, and I will work on ending this story. I do have a sequel planned, and if I go for it, it will be the last part of the series. I may have it be during their college days and future careers.**

**Thank you for reading, and I love the reviews. Also, to anyone who likes Fairies, check out an artist named Nene Thomas. Her Fairy work is amazing. I'm working on a puzzle with one of her works on it.**

**See you all soon.**


	27. Holly's Intentions

It's been a couple of weeks since the man who called himself my father was finally put away for good. I heard from David that he was sent to the prison infirmary on his first day because some of the other inmates heard about what he did, and apparently, they didn't appreciate it. I admit, a laughed when he told us that Michael West wound up with two broken ribs, a broken leg, and a dislocated shoulder.

"Hey Jade." I turn around in my seat at the Asphalt Cafe when I hear Tori's voice. I see her walking over with her lunch, a salad.

"Hey." I say with a smile as she sits down, giving her a quick kiss as we do. "What's up?"

"Not much." She says, taking a bite of her salad. "How do you think we did on our music video project?" She asks, looking towards everyone.

"I think we did good." André says, taking a bite of his burrito.

"It was a lot of fun to shoot, and I hope we did good." Beck says, arm around André.

"It was a lot of fun." Tori agrees, smiling at the memory.

"Of course you think that, you got to sing one of your idol's songs." I tell her.

"Yeah yeah." She says, trying not to laugh. "Where are Cat and Robbie?" She asks, taking another bite of salad.

"They're working on a project I think." Beck says, taking a bite of his pizza. "Sikowitz held them back to talk to them, and I heard him say something about needing tech and costume help for the new play."

"What new play?" Tori asks, looking around.

"Sikowitz is doing a remake of 'Phantom Of The Opera'." I say in a disbelieving tone. "Sikowitz is an amazing teacher, but he should not touch a classic."

"Good point." Beck says, sipping his soda. "Anyone planning on signing up?"

"I'm not. My new script is taking up a lot of time, I don't think practicing for a play would be a good idea." I say, washing some of my burrito down with coffee.

"Same here. Tori and I are stuck on our song for Advance Songwriting." André says, sighing slightly.

"Never thought I'd hear André Harris say he was stuck on a song." I say, taunting him.

"Relax, Jade." Tori says, rubbing my shoulder. "We don't know what kind of song to write. We haven't had any ideas in a while."

"Really?" Beck says in surprise. "You usually have like fifty ideas for songs."

"I know. Things lately have been kinda distracting." André says, leaning forward slightly.

"Anyway, what about you Beck?" I ask, catching the Canadian's attention. "You planning on auditioning for Sikowitz's play?"

"Maybe. I agree, he's messing with a classic and that should never be done, but it's Sikowitz. His stuff is usually good."

We continue making small talk for the rest of lunch, heading towards photography together, bumping into Cat and Robbie on the way.

"Hi Jadey. Hi Tori. Hi Beck. Hi André." Cat says, crushing each of us in a hug.

"Hey Lil' Red." André says after he's released from her hug.

"Did we miss anything?" Robbie asks, leading the way towards class.

"Nope. Nothing really." Beck says, opening the door for everyone.

"Has anyone seen Ryder lately?" André asks a few moments after we sit down, looking around the class.

"I heard he was forced to leave." Cat says in a stage whisper.

"How did you hear that?" Tori asks, leaning slightly towards Cat.

"Who told you that?" I ask the redhead.

"I overheard Sikowitz and Lane talking to Principle Helen earlier today." She says, continuing speaking in stage whisper. "Do you think it's true?"

"Is what true?" We hear an obnoxious voice say from behind us.

"I guess it's not true." I say, ignoring Ryder.

"Oh, come on Jadelyn." Ryder says in a condescending tone.

"Don't call me that." I say, turning to face him, glaring at him.

"Is there a problem, Jadelyn?" He asks, sneering back at me. "Sorry to hear about daddy."

"Mr. Daniels. Is there a reason you're taunting her?" Carlos asks, slowly walking towards us, keeping his gaze on Ryder.

"No, Mr. Vega." Ryder says, still sneering at me. "Just having a friendly conversation."

"Didn't look friendly to me." Carlos says, getting to us. "Mind taking your seat?"

"No sir." Ryder says, not bothering to look away from Tori and I as he heads towards his seat.

"I'm only gonna ask this once." Carlos says, sending a cautious look to Ryder before facing us again. "How 'friendly' was the conversation?"

"About as friendly as Tawni Walker Black treated the pretty girl in 'The Scissoring'." I answer, glaring at Ryder.

"Good." Carlos says with a smirk, heading back to his desk. "Hello class. I have everyone music video assignments graded." He says, facing the class. He grabs a stack of papers from his desk and starts handing them out. The majority of the class either cheers or sighs in releif. We smile when we get ours, and I laugh at the note by our grade.

-Interesting song choice. I think everyone is well aware of Tori kissing a girl and liking it at this point. I just didn't know Miss West used cherry chapstick. I would have thought it'd be coffee.-

"He has a point, you do taste like coffee a lot." Tori says, reading over the note as well.

"I don't hear you complaining." I say in a mocking tone, smirking at her.

"How did I fail the assignment when everyone else in my team passed!?" We all turn when we hear Ryder yelling at us.

"From what I understand, you didn't do anything. Just stood in the background." Carlos says, leaning against his desk. "I specifically put in the assignment that every group member has to participate, and those that don't, fail." He says simply. "Now, does anyone want to watch the videos?" He asks, earning nods of agreement from everyone while Ryder still fumes. "Okay, let's watch."

The rest of the class is spent watching the videos. Some of the videos are nice, some alright. Throughout the class, everyone hears Ryder in the background, fuming at the grade. Finally, close to ten minutes before the end of class, he freaks out.

"This is bullshit!" Ryder says, standing up. "You only failed me because your dyke bitch of a cousin talked shit on me!"

"Call her that again, and I swear bad thing will happen to you." I say, slowly standing up and glaring at him.

"Just sit down, and shut up Daniels." André says, standing up as well.

"Fuck you you fag." Ryder says, glaring at us.

"What did you just call him?" Beck says, standing up as well.

"Twenty bucks says Ryder get knocked out before the bell rings." Carlos says from the front of the class. "What?" He asks when everyone, including us, giving him confused looks.

"Oh, that's nice. Placing bets on something happening to a student." Ryder sneers at him.

"No one took the bet, so it doesn't count." Carlos says, pushing himself off of his desk.

"Shut up. No one cares about what you have to say." Ryder says, turning back to us. "It's fucking pathetic how these idiots seem to be able to do whatever they want, and no one stops them. I'm sick of it!"

"You're just pissed because Tori didn't let you get away with using her." I say, glaring at him.

"Okay, cool it." Carlos says, coming towards us. "We don't want any bloodshed during school."

Before anyone can say anything, the bell rings. We slowly get ups, waiting for Ryder to leave first before we do. I notice Cat stick closer to Robbie, while Beck and Andre seem to act like bodyguards, watching everything and everyone around them.

"That was a fun way to end class." Carlos says, following us out the door.

"Shut up." I say, leading Tori out.

"Sorry. I forgot he was such a dick." Carlos says.

We don't really talk the rest of the way, Carlos acting like a guard as well for us. I'm silently fuming from what Ryder said. How did he know about my dad? Everything was kept under wraps.

"Hey, Carlos?" I ask as we get to our next class, letting Tori and the others go in before I continue. "How could he have known about my dad?"

"I don't know." He says, leaning against the wall. "Jordan's team didn't say anything. I know them. I don't know how he would have known."

"He knows something. I just wish I knew what." I say, going to grab the doorknob. "I should head to class. See you at home." I tell him opening the door.

I don't really pay attention in class, or the rest of school. The confidance in Ryder's eyes bug me. On the way home, my mind is so out of it I don't realize we already pulled into te driveway until a few minutes of Tori trying to get my attention.

"Jade!" I jump when I hear Tori yell my name from the passenger seat.

"Sorry. What's up?" I ask, turning to face her.

"We're home. Are you okay? You've been acting wierd since photography class." She says as we start to get out of the car.

"Not really." I say, following her inside.

"What do yo mean?" She asks, holding the door open for me.

"How did Ryder know about my dad?" I ask, heading towards the kitchen.

"I don't know. I talked to Carlos after school at my locker and he said that Jordan and her team have kept it under wraps. The only other people who would know are those on the police force that were there when your father was taken in, but dad said that they aren't allowed to mention anything." She says, opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water.

"Hey girls." David says from behind us. I didn't even know he was here.

"Hey dad." Tori says with a distracted look on her face.

"Something the matter?" He asks, giving us worried looks.

"Do you remember Ryder Daniels?" I ask, starting the coffee maker. When he nods, I continue. "He knows about my dad. He made a comment about it earlier today." I say, grabbing a mug as the coffee maker starts up.

"That's impossible. How could he have gotten that information?" Tori says from beside me.

"I don't know. But Henry gave me some bad news earlier today." David says, getting up from the couch and walking towards us.

"Don't tell me that bastard got out again somehow?" I say, growling.

"No. His only chance to get out is in a body bag, I was assured of that. It doesn't concearn your father, but my ex-partner." He says, his tone low. "He's back on the force. He went through some weird lawyer and she somehow found a loophole, meaning that he was fired for an unreasonable reason, or something." He says with a sigh.

"How long has he been there?" Tori asks, sitting beside her father at the kitchen table.

"Almost a month, apparently." He says, growling slightly.

"Would he know about my father and all that?" I ask, getting worried.

"It's possible." He says in a somber tone as the coffee maker beeps, letting me know the coffee is done. "I didn't know he was there, but Henry saw him the earlier today with a smirk."

"I don't like this." Tori says, looking at us. "The timing is too weird. He comes back, and shortly after Michael West gets put away from good, someone who has hated Jade and I just happens to find out about it?"

"As Leroy Jethro Gibbs from N.C.I.S. says, There's no such things as coincidences." I say as there's a knock at the door. "I got it." I say, standing up. I open the door and freeze slightly. I never thought I'd see this person again.

"Hello Jade." Holly says with a sneer, her boyfriend, or whatever he is, Gary behind her. "I need to speak with my husband."

"Well, I'm not inviting you in, and you are no longer a resident here, so you can just stand there on the step until someone lets you in." I say, turning around. "We have a problem, David." I say, loud enough for him and Tori to hear.

"What's that?" He says, turning around, stopping when he sees who it is.

"We need to talk." Holly says, stepping in.

"Hey, is she allowed to walk in without being invited?" I ask, stepping in front of her.

"Not exactly." David says, standing up. "Why are you here Holly? Gary?" He asks, sneering each name.

"Because of you, my client was unlawfully fired. And another client was put in jail when there was no proof to any crimes he was allegedly committed of." She says, ignoring me and Tori.

"Who are your clients?" David asks cautiously, watching his ex-wife and ex-partner.

"Michael West and Gary." She answers, facing David.

"You're the one that got him out last time!?" I yell at her, getting in her face.

"Back off little girl." She says, sending me a glare she thinks is supposed to be threatening.

"Let me tell you something bitch." I say, unaffected by her. "That man you defended, that you got released, was a rapist, a drug dealer, and and attempted murderer." I say, flinching at the first word.

"There was no proof on either accounts." She says. "The only evidence was the word of your best friend on the rape charge, and the drug and murder charge? No proof."

"What about a rape kit?" David says, carefully pushing me behind him. "What not a lot of people know, is that there was a rape kit for her, and we have evidence proving that particular charge true. As for the attempted murder and drugs?" He says, stepping closer to his ex. "His mole in the office spilled everything. There are at least three officers who can attest to your client Michael West attempting to murder not only his daughter, but my daughter, in this house." He says, sending a glare to Gary when he steps forward.

"I need to speak with those three officers." Holly says. I gave her a confused look when David mentioned Tori and I almost being killed. Her face showed shock, but she hid it quickly.

"Fine. I'll tell them to call you." David says, stepping back slightly. "Now, neither of you were invited in, and you need to leave."

"Fine. But I'll be back." Holly says, glaring at David before leaving, Gary close behind.

"She doesn't stand a chance." David says, quietly. "Gary was fired for misuse of vacation time and sick days. As well as a few times where evidence would mysteriously disappear from the evidence garage." He says, turning to face us.

"What kind of evidence?" Tori asks, giving me a hug.

"Drugs, some guns." He says, sitting on one of the couches. "I don't know what's going on, but I thing Gary was involved on everything with Michael West." He says, leaning back.

"Then how does Ryder fit in?" I ask, leading Tori to the couch and sitting beside her father.

"I promise you both, I'll find out." David says with a sigh.

This isn't over yet, is it? I think to myself, and based off of the looks on Tori's and David's faces, they agree.

**I don't own VicTORIous, or N.C.I.S. I am simply a fan of both. Thank you for reading, and next chapter will be the last time we see Holly, as well as the beginning of the last time we see Ryder. To pffar, I plan on making a chapter about that later, after the story is finished, explaining how he got out. Thank you for mentioning that and giving me the idea.**


	28. Holly's Failed Plan

The next few days are spent in tense silence. David goes to the barracks, and with Henry's help, gets a much information as they can. Carlos and Trina were filled in when the got home later that evening, and showed the same looks as we did, knowing that this isn't over. Holly has stopped by a couple of times since, but David ushered everyone out, giving us urgent looks as he did. A few hours later, he would call us down, giving us a quick overview of what they talked about. From what we were told, Holly is working on getting Michael released under unlawful terms, or something like that, and every attempt was unsuccessful. No surprise there.

"What are you thinking about?" Tori asks me as she walks into my room, four days after Holly's return.

"Everything that has happened over the last few days." I say, sitting up and patting the spot beside me. "Where were you? Haven't seen you since school let out."

"Talking to dad." She says, placing her legs over my lap. "He was talking to Carlos recently, thinking about calling in a favor or two to get Jordan back into helping."

"Why do you sound so worried about it?" I ask, placing my arms around her.

"Apparently, Jordan and her team is under investigation for helping us last time." She says with a sigh. "Holly claims her help wasn't allowed, so she's saying that because of it, Michael shouldn't have been arrested."

"There's no chance in hell that would work." I say, shifting slightly. "Her helped might not have been assigned or whatever, but it was allowed. L.A.P.D. okayed it."

"Yeah, dad's boss, the man who 'illegally' fired her 'boyfriend' Gary." She says, using air quotes for illegally and boyfriend, sneering at the name.

"So what, she thinks it's a dirty cop or something?"

"I guess." She says, letting herself fall onto the bed, our of my grasp. "Holly is fucking up our life because she's a bitch." She says with a groan.

I sit there, staring at her. This is the first time I think I've ever heard her swear so easily, especially about her mother. Granted, Holly's a bitch, but still. "Why is she doing this?" I ask, more to myself than her.

"Don't know." She says, sitting up again. "I think she's doing this to break us up."

"How do you get that?" I ask, curious.

"Think about it." She says, shifting off of my lap to face me. "Since we got together in the first place, she distanced herself. When we broke up, she was happy. We got back together, and things got worse. She started hanging out with Gary a lot more, divorced dad, got mad at Trina for defending us. She hates that I love you." She says, tearing up at the end.

"I'm sorry baby." I say, barely audible, giving her a comforting hug.

"Does she hate me so much that she would ruin everyone's life I care for?" She says, openly crying.

"If she does, she's a fool." I whisper into her ear. "If she hates you for something like this, then she's not worth it."

"She's right." We jump slightly at Trina's voice from my doorway. "Didn't mean to scare you." She says, walking in and sitting on Tori's other side. "She's not worth it at all. Dad and I, as well as Jade, Cat, Beck, André, and Robbie care about you so much." She says in a comforting voice.

"Why is she doing this?" Tori asks, holding Trina and I tightly.

"She's a bitch." I say, not hiding my distaste for Holly. "Whatever she's planning, will fail. You will always have me and everyone else Trina mentioned, and then some. You know Carlos will do anything to help, Sikowitz and Lane consider you as close as family. Jordan and her team consider us allies, and you know anyone she considers and ally is protected." I say as I rub her back.

"Don't forget Natasha." Trina says with a small smile. "You think there's something going on with her and Carlos?" She asks in a lighter tone.

"She seems to like him." Tori says, smiling at the change of conversation. "He hangs out with her quite a bit outside of school."

"You think they're dating? He talks about her a bit." I say, remembering the night we first met her, Natasha staying for dinner and how close they sat beside each other, and mentioning her a few times since.

"Who know? Carlos is kind of a secretive guy." Trina says, standing up. "Don't forget sis." She says, leaning down to look her in the eyes. "Just because one person doesn't love you how she should, you have over ten people who love you no matter what."

"Thanks Treen. I love you too." Tori says with a smile.

"Thanks Trina." I say, smiling at the eldest Vega sister.

"We might have had problems in the past, and I don't love you, but I consider you one of the most trusted people I know." Trina says to me. "See you girls later. Dad's on his way back from meeting with Henry. He says he might know something about Holly's plan." She says as she gives us hugs and heads out, waving and giving us a warm smile.

"See ya later Trina. We'll see you downstairs for lunch." I say as Tori leans against me.

"So, that was different." She says, placing her legs back over my lap.

"You like this position, don't you?"

"It's comfortable." She says, smiling.

"If you say so. How was that different?" I ask, referring to her comment.

"I don't know. I appreciate the change of topic, but bringing up my cousin's possible girlfriend? Different."

"True. Let's go. I need coffee." I say, picking her up and setting her down, letting her feet drop to the carpet.

"Girls, could you come down here please?!" David yells from downstairs.

"Guess that's our cue to go." I say, following her out the door.

"How are you going girls?" David asks as we enter the living room.

"Been better." Tori says as we sit down on one of the couches, Trina and David on the other.

"What do you know?" I ask, getting into it quickly.

"Glad to see you still don't hold back." David says with a laugh. "We heard about Holly's plan to get Michael West out of prison again." He says, hesitating slightly at his ex-wife's name.

"What do you mean?" Tori asks, eyes scrunched in confusement. "With the crimes against him, he's not getting out."

"Gary used his reinstatement to get the files of Michael's case. They, as in my ex-wife and ex-partner, are trying to get Michael released again under Gary's protective custody." David says, sighing.

"No way that would work." Tori asks, worried. "Will it?"

"No chance. Too many crimes, the proof is against him, everything. He stays in jail, and her plan fails. I don't know why she's bothering, she knows it won't work." David says, slightly unconfidant.

"She has to have a plan, a hidden agenda." Trina says, chiming in. "She knows something we don't."

"You're right. I just wish I knew what." David says, leaning back.

The rest of the day is filled with uncomfortable silence. After lunch, Tori and I hang out around the house. We don't see or hear about Holly until a few days later, when she finally stops by again. This time, David doesn't usher her out. We also have two guest. Gary sits in with us again, and so does Jordan.

"I have a question for you, Jordan." Holly says, sneering her hame.

"What do you want?" She says, sitting on the couch.

"Why did you help out? You had no reason to." Holly says, sitting on the opposite couch.

"I was asked. After I heard the details, I asked David's boss, and he agreed. I organized my team, and assisted." Jordan says simply.

"Are you aware that the police chief fired a competent officer for no reason?" She asks, not missing a beat.

"From what I know, the reason was legit." She says, not backing down.

"Why are they here?" Holly says, turning from Jordan to Tori, Trina, and I.

"Why so worried?" David asks, getting Holly's attention.

"This doesn't concern them." Holly says, sounding defensive.

"Doesn't matter. You're not here under official business." David says. "Since you never said this was an official visit, so residents of this house are welcome."

"Fine." Holly says with a faux-smile. "So, Jordan." She says, shifting her attention from David to Jordan. "Do you often enlist the help of civilians?"

"When we know they are not in harms way. Everyone on my team who sees action is fitted for safety. I never let anyone on the front lines who is at risk of injury. We know what we're getting into, but only liscened members of my team, no civilians, hold guns and deal with the threats. Why do you ask?" Jordan says, casually, not stressed.

"You let my nephew go when you apprehended Michael West." Holly says, looking around the room. "Where is my nephew, by the way?" She asks, finally looking at David.

"He's out. I believe he was hanging out with Natasha, helping her with her photography skills." Jordan says, standing up. "I'll be back momentarily. I need to use the restroom." She says, getting a frustrated sigh from Holly.

"Fine. What about you, David? You let relatives willingly get into risky situations on a regular basis?" Holly says, looking back to her ex-husband.

"He was far enough away to be out of risk, and two members of Jordan's team were on guard." David says, relaxed.

"They were Marine snipers. Their CO's gave them the okay to join our team while they were no longer in the Corps." Jordan says, entering the living room. "They were on point until I gave them the word that all was well."

"What about this, Natasha?" Holly asks, leaning forward as Jordan sits again. "I believe she's a member of your team?"

"Recon." Jordan says, still relaxed. "Recently hired to help when needed. She is trained in firearms, but was never a fan. She joined when we were in need of a recon team."

"So how does Carlos fit into this?" Holly asks, curious.

"He was the one who called us in to help. After we got the okay to join, and essentially bring him in, we got everything ready. Carlos joined with Recon when we needed someone who would recognize him easily. Carlos knew the story, studied pictures. Do you even know what your client did?" Jordan asks, changing the subject from her to Holly.

"I know the crimes that were claimed he committed." Holly says, leaning back. "There is no proof that he did any of them. The so called rape kit is not found."

"Check Gary's desk." David says, chiming in. "I was informed that he signed out the report. Hasn't returned it."

"I can't be blamed for a missing report." Gary says, getting angry at the accusation.

"Yeah you can." Jordan says, smirking.

"What do you mean?" Holly asks, curious.

"Well, think about it." Jordan says, smirk still in place. "He was the last to sign it out, and no one knows where it is now. I think he made the report disappear to aid your client."

"What would he have to gain, in this theory of yours?" Holly says, looking slightly angry.

"Him? Maybe nothing." I say, stepping forward. "But something tells me you talked him into doing it. Didn't the report get checked out after Michael threatened me and Tori?" I ask, looking at David.

"I believe so." David says, looking from me to Holly, then to Gary. "Gary seemed focused on getting it, not taking no for an answer."

"What are you insinuating, David?" Holly says, angry.

"Yeah, why did you want the report? Trying to hide it so it can't be used?" David says, staying calm.

"I don't think I like what you're saying." Holly says, standing up as there's a knock on the door.

"I got it." Tori says, avoiding Holly and Gary. "Henry. hey." She says, giving him a hug. "Come in." She says, letting him in.

"Did you find it?" David asks, standing up and shaking his free hand, his other hand holding a folder.

"Yep." Henry says with a smile. "The warrant came through earlier this morning, and I went in. The owner of the house let me in, and I found this in the desk." He says, handing the folder over to David. "Some advice, Gary?" Henry says, facing him. "Don't hide important files at your ex-wife's place."

"How did you get a warrant without me knowing?" Gary says, fuming.

"How would you have known?" David says, opening the folder.

"Don't answer that, Gary." Holly says, getting in his way.

"Doesn't matter, not at this point." David says, looking over what he took out of the folder. "The report, as well as files concerning the file to release Michael West."

"You kept them?" Holly says, turning around to yell at Gary. "You idiot, I told you to burn them as soon as you got them."

"You what?" David says, glaring at her.

"Best part is?" Henry says with a devious smile. "I was smart enough to record everything." He says, opening his shirt to reveal a wire. "Figured it'd be a good idea. Officers are on the way, you're not getting out." He says, smiling at Holly and Gary.

"Looks like you failed." I say, growling at Holly. "Now, tell us why the hell my father hired you."

"I have nothing to tell you." Holly snarls at me as Henry starts to handcuff her, David handcuffing Gary.

"Fine by me. You're screwed, Gary's screwed, Michael's screwed." Jordan says, smirking. "See you in court bitch. See you guys later." She says, the last part with a smile aimed at everyone else.

Tori and I watch as Holly and Gary are led out of the Vega house, a smile on our faces. "What was in the folder anyway?" I ask after Henry leads Gary and Holly to a squad car.

"Everything needed to keep your father away, and send Holly and Gary away." David says, sounding slightly upset when he says Holly's name.

Well, two threats down, one left. How the hell does Ryder know about the case, and why was he so smug about it? I think to myself as we sit for dinner, Tori and I on one side, David at the head of the table, and Trina across from us.

**Odd place to end, I know. If any information is wrong, I apologize. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed so far. We're getting close to the end. Next will be the last we see of Ryder, and we find out how he knows everything.**


	29. The Trial And No More Ryder

**Disclaimer: Not mine, unfortunately. I own Carlos, Natasha, and a few other OC's. Jordan is technically Jay aka Jordan's in my opinion.**

Since Holly was last seen, things have been well. Ryder keeps his distance in school, and David told us that Holly and Gary are in solitary, no talk to the outside world. Gary admitted everything, handing over video of conversations between the two. Holly denied everything, and no one believed her because of the evidence against them. A few weeks later, there was an announcement that Holly demanded a trial, Holly's last attempt to prove her innocence, or lack there of, as far as I'm concerned. David drives us, Henry in the passenger seat, with Tori beside me. Trina rode with Carlos, Jordan, and Natasha. Jordan and Natasha have been frequent visitors to the house. Natasha even sat in a few of Carlos' classes with us. We arrive at the court house a half hour before we were supposed to, wanting to get in quickly.

"Good morning, Officers." The Bailiff says as we walk in. (Picture the actor who played Chris Redfield in 'Resident Evil After-life'.)

"Good morning Bailiff." David says, leading us in.

"Can that guy be trusted?" Tori asks in a hushed whisper as we take our seats, looking towards the Bailiff briefly as she asks.

"Trust me, when he heard about what happened, he wanted to hit your father, Holly, and Gary. With a sledge hammer." Henry says, taking the aisle seat.

"Did he hit them?" I ask, sounding hopeful.

"Sorry no. He stopped himself, didn't want to get in trouble." Henry says, not hiding the smile at my tone.

"Where are Carlos and the others?" Tori asks, changing topics.

"On the way. We told André and the rest of your friends not to come, only those involved were informed." David says, about to continue when the door opens and Jordan comes in, Natasha and Carlos close behind.

"Morning." Jordan says, sitting down behind us. "Can't wait to see this bitch get taken down."

"She doesn't stand a chance." I say, smirking along side her. "No offense, but why are you here? I thought only those Holly screwed are supposed to be here?"

"She tried to screw me when we last saw her. Plus, I'm a reliable witness to the claims." She says, smirk still in place.

I look around, scanning everyone here. Everyone is dressed nicely, except for David and Henry who are dressed their uniforms.

"When is everyone else supposed to be here?" Tori asks, leaning over to ask her father.

"Soon. Both parties were informed to be here from fifteen to twenty minutes early." He answers as the judge, a middle-aged african american woman, enters and takes her seat. A few minutes later, Holly, Gary, and I'm guessing their attorney come in.

"Do we get an attorney?" I ask, looking from theirs to us, not seeing anyone to fit the bill.

"My wife has taken that role." Henry says with a proud smile, looking behind us where we see his wife, Paige, standing in a business suit.

"I thought you were a social worker?" I ask her as she stand up and walks over to us.

"Is that what Henry told you?" She says with a smile. "I was, but I was working on a promotion. I became a lawyer a few months ago. I still do social work, but I became a lawyer to have a better understanding of the law." She says, heading towards Holly and her team. "Hello Holly. My name is Paige Mathews. I've read over your report, and I am well aware of the charges." She says before turning around and taking her seat at the main table.

"All rise." The Bailiff says a few moments later. "The honorable Judge Jennifer Redfield presiding." He says as the judge stands up, sitting back into her chair. (Couldn't think of a name. First name is random, last name courtesy of 'Resident Evil'.)

"Be seated." She says, opening a folder and reading over the information on the sheets. "In the case of West vs. O'Hara. How does the defendant plea?" She asks, looking at Holly. 'Her last name is O'Hara?' I think to myself as Holly tries to defend herself, which based off of the judge's face, is failing. ('O'Hara' courtesy of 'Psych'.)

"Let me tell you something, Miss O'Hara." Judge Redfield states as Holly starts to get more and more frustrated. "I've read the report, and heard the recording that Mr. Mizanin offered us, your case is not looking good." (Gary's last name courtesy of Mike Mizanin, or The Miz, in WWE.)

"What my ex-boyfriend offered is not to be shown against me. He did everything on his own." Holly says, almost yelling at the judge.

"Mr. Mizanin, how do you yourself plead?" The judge asks, ignoring Holly.

"I plead guilty, your honor." He says, standing up.

"Very well. Miss O'Hara, how do you plead?" The judge asks, shifting her attention.

"I plead not guilty your honor." Holly says, standing up after sending Gary a glare.

"I have a question for you, Miss O'Hara." The judge asks, sounding curious. "Why did you go through all of this trouble to cause so much damage to your family, alienate them from you?"

"Because my bitch of a daughter decided she'd rather shack with a dyke." Holly says, sounding angry and glaring at us. "Because of her, my ex-husband worked more. He wasn't around anymore, and it's all because he was ashamed of his dyke of a daughter."

"That is not the case, your honor." David says, standing up. "I love Tori, and she knows it. I took the extra work because I knew Holly was sleeping with Gary and I needed to pay the bills, since she stopped caring. You were sleeping with Gary long before we knew she was gay. You're her mother. You're supposed to love her unconditionally, not love her as long as she likes men."

"May I ask a question?" I ask Judge Redfield, locking eyes with her. When the judge nods for me to continue, I do. "I remember when I picked up Tori when the movie was being filmed around the house. When I pulled up, I say Gary pull away, you standing in the window with a seductive smile on your face. A few minutes later when Tori answered the door, you looked well fucked when you were sitting in the kitchen."

"Is this true?" Judge Redfield asks, eyeing Holly and Gary.

"It is, your honor." Gary says, standing up. "She called me shortly after David left for work that morning."

"You sound regretful." THe judge states, pointing out his tone.

"I am. I regret everything we've done in the past. If I could take it all back, I would." Gary says, avoiding everyone's gaze.

"He's lying. They all are." Holly says, fuming.

"Sit down, Miss O'Hara. Mr. Mizanin, I find you guilty of conspiracy and aiding and abetting." The judge says, catching us off guard with the last one.

"Wait, aiding and abetting what?" David asks.

"You don't know?" The judge asks.

"We've gone over Mr. Mizanin's report, and he admits to helping Mr. Michael West take residence at the beach house Jordan and her team found him in. Said beach house belonged to his wife, not himself. Mr. Mizanin also hired the bodyguards." Paige says, turning to face us.

"Do you agree with these charges, Mr. Mizanin?" Judge Redfield asks him.

"I do your honor." He says, raising his head to look her in the eyes.

"Bailiff, please take this man away." She says, looking to he Bailiff who let us in.

"Right this way." The bailiff says, leading Gary out.

"Now, regardless of your plea, the evidence stacks against you. And your outburst has essentially proven that you did everything charged against you." The judge says as the door closes. "You admitted to doing everything, without confessing."

"I was tricked." Holly says, rushing towards the judge. I'm surprised that her lawyer hasn't said or done anything since they walked in.

"Really? How do you defend saying this?" The judge asks, looking at Holly as she indicates to a screen I didn't notice yet, as a video starts to play of Holly and Gary in an apartment.

Gary - "What are your plans for all of this? Why are you doing this?"

Holly - "I just am, Gary. You knew what you were getting into when we started this." She says, looking at him. "Tori ruined my life when she became a damned dyke."

Gary - "What about David? How does he factor in to all of this?"

Holly - "He just does. Why are you just now asking questions?" She asks, sounding annoyed. "Michael is on his way to my old place to take care of my dyke of a daughter and his. That's all you need to know. Now." She says, going from upset to flirty. "Where were we?" She says, leaning in for a kiss. I look over between David and Tori, both with shocked looks on their faces.

"This evidence proves that you and Michael West were working together to have your daughter, and his, murdered. I find you guilty of the charges. Take her away bailiff. I want her out of my sight." Judge Redfield says with a scowl.

"She planned that?" I ask in a whisper. "They worked together to kill us?"

That's the only thought in my mind as we leave the courthouse, occasionally mumbling it out loud. David and Henry have hung back. Trina drove Tori and I home, with Carlos and the others behind us. When we arrive home, we're surprised to see Sam and Dean, the only two members of Jordan's team that are related, standing by the front door, waiting for us.

"What's up guys?" Jordan asks as she steps out of her car, walking towards the brothers as Tori and I walk passed them to open the door and invite everyone in.

"Sammy here found something on that Ryder Daniels guy you told us about." Dean says, heading towards one of the couches. "You guys got any beer?" He asks at random as he sits.

"Dean, you can't just ask people for beer. Besides, we're here on business." Sam says, sitting beside Dean.

"Doesn't mean I can't drink on the job." Dean says, taking out a folder from his jacket and setting in on the table. "Anyway, we got some info for ya." He says, cutting off whatever Sam was about to say.

"What'd you find out?" Jordan asks, grabbing the folder and opening it. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." She says in a whisper.

"What is it?" Natasha asks from beside Carlos, sitting on chairs from the kitchen.

"Your fuck face of a father hired Ryder to spy on you girls. That's why he was in school when he supposedly already graduated." Jordan says, looking at me. "Also, from the phone records, he was in constant contact with not only Michael, but Holly as well. That's why he knew what he knew."

"Is his number in there anywhere?" I ask suddenly, a devious smirk on my face.

"Yeah, why?" Jordan asks, flipping through some of the papers.

"Tori, didn't he say he wanted you back when he was in class last month, and that's why he was always so close to us?" I ask Tori, who's giving me a 'what-the-fuck-are-you-thinking' look.

"Yeah, and?"

"Call him. Tell him you forgive him and that Holly got to you, made you want to be straight again." I tell her, my smirk never leaving my face. "Invite him over, telling him you need a real man to fuck the gay out of you. I guarantee you, he'll rush over without question."

"No. I don't want him anywhere near me." She says, standing up and glaring at me.

"Let me explain. When he gets here, we'll shove all of this in his face," I say, holding up the folder. "And Jordan can charge him for conspiracy or whatever. He won't stand a chance."

"I don't know." She says, sounding unsure instead of angry.

"Trust me." I say, giving her a comforting hug and smile.

"Okay. Fine. You have way too much power over me." She mumbles as she grabs her phone and dials the number Jordan shows her. "Ryder?" She says, using her acting abilities to sound like she's been crying. "Jade boke up with me and yelled for putting her father in jail. Can you come over? We need to talk." She says, rolling her eyes at the plain stupidity coming out of his lips. "Okay. Thank you. See you soon." She says, hanging up. "I hate you." She says, going from sounding in tears to sounding irritated at me.

"He caved that easily?" I ask, ignoring her last sentence. "Damn. He's more pathetic than I thought."

"Where should we go?" Natasha asks, standing up, uncertain.

"For now, we'll hide in the hallway over here. Carlos, you stay here to act like your comforting her. Let him believe you were just going with what she said about you in the past if he asks why your here. Tori, I love you, so please don't hate me for this." I tell her, giving her another hug and kiss. "I need you to cry when he gets here. Can't let him know it's a trap."

"Yeah yeah. Just go. He said he'll be here within two minutes, and knowing him, he's closer. Hide and stay quiet. Is there a code word or something for me to say for you guys to come out?" She asks, sounding hopeful at the end.

"Say 'I have something for you.' loud enough for us to hear in the hallway, but quiet enough so he doesn't think anything of it. Carlos, make sure you leave them alone after a few moments, claiming you're not involved in the conversation." I say to both, earning nods of agreement from both. "I love you. See you soon babe." I say, kissing Tori quickly before heading to the hallway, Jordan, Natasha, and the brothers behind me. "What are you doing?" I whisper to Jordan when she takes out her cell phone.

"Texting David. I'm letting him know not to come home for a while and filling him in on your plan." She says, typing on her phone.

"Good idea." I say as we stand in silence, waiting. A few minutes later, there's a knock at the door. We hear Tori stand up and walk over, opening the door.

"Thank you for coming so quickly." Tori says with a sad tone. I risk a peak over the corner and fight a gag as I see her and Ryder hugging, a smug look on Ryder's face.

"Anytime. I must admit, I was surprised you called." He says, making his face look soothing when the hug breaks apart. "Jade just broke up with you?"

"Yeah." She says as I pull my head back before Ryder sees me. "She was so furious at me. She packed a suitcase and ran out, yelling at me."

"It's okay. I'm here for you." He says in a soothing tone.

"Let's sit on the couch." She says quickly, too eager in my opinion.

"Is something wrong?" He asks, picking up on her tone.

"I just don't want to be standing by the door, in case she comes back for the rest of her stuff." She says, still in a saddened tone.

"Good point. That bitch would just run you over, without a care in the world." He says, sounding slightly angry.

I hear him mumble something under his breath, but clearly Tori heard in clearly because I hear her say "What are you talking about?" in a shocked tone.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to say anything." Ryder says quickly, sounding guilty.

"When did you last talk to him?" She says, sounding genuinely angry at him.

"A few days ago." He says, sounding paranoid for some reason.

"That's okay." Tori says in a calm voice. "I don't mind that you talked to Michael recently. I have something for you." She says seductively.

"Oh, yeah?" He asks, sounding proud and arrogant.

"Yeah, she does." I say, standing in the opening of the hallway, Carlos and Natasha behind me, Jordan to my left. "You've been in contact with him?!"

"You told me you guys broke up." Ryder says, quickly getting up and heading for the door, opening it just to stop when he sees David and Henry standing there.

"Oh yeah, forgot to tell you." Jordan says to me, a smile on her face. "David and Henry are here."

"Clearly." I say, walking over to Tori, glaring at Ryder. "You didn't think it was odd that she called you?" I ask him, smirking when he stands there in fear, eyes wide at me.

"Wow, you're an idiot." Jordan says, sitting on the couch. "You're a homophobic ass and you thought she would turn to you after everything you've done?"

"Oh, and we know Michael hired you to spy on us." I say, smirk growing when his fear grows. "We have a list of charges about everything you've done. Have fun being someone's bitch in jail." I say, laughing when he puts his hands behind his back, seemingly trying to protect his ass.

"Prove it." He says in a shaky, smug tone.

"Gladly." Jordan says, standing up and handing him the folder with the information, which I'm surprised he didn't notice earlier because it was sitting on the table the entire time.

"Is this the only copy?" He asks, hiding his face as he reads over the charges, his left hand digging in his pocket.

"Yeah, why?" Jordan says, giving me a look before mouthing 'that I brought in with me' while Ryder looks away.

"Good." He says loudly, pulling out a Led Zeppelin Zippo lighter and lighting the papers on fire, laughing while no one, not even Tori, freaks out.

"Should have let me finish." Jordan says, sighing in exasperation. "That's all I brought with me. I have a few more copies at my base, and a couple of copies in my SUV." She says, smiling smugly when Ryder's eyes widen again.

"You mean this?" David says, pulling out a folder and handing it to Jordan after walking past Ryder. We watch as Jordan looks through the info, smiling as she goes over some of the pages.

"Yep. How'd you get this?" Jordan asks as she hands the folder back to David.

"Natasha told Carlos, who told us earlier, where to find a copy." David says, looking from Jordan to Henry as he finishes talking. "You mind cuffing him for me?"

"Sure thing." Henry says, pulling out his cuffs.

"Can I keep the lighter?" I ask out loud as Henry starts to handcuff Ryder. "What? I like it." I say when everyone gives me confused looks.

"Sure." Henry says, prying it out of Ryder's hand and tossing it to me. "We don't need it for anything and he clearly won't be needing it." He says with a smile, dragging Ryder out the door. "See you at the station David. See you guys later."

"See ya." We all say, Jordan and I laughing as we hear Ryder claim he's too young to go to prison and Henry saying he's not stupid and that he knows Ryder's eighteen.

**That's it for this chapter. If it seems like a cliffhanger, I promise you it's not. Next chapter, unfortunately, is the final chapter. It'll be an epilogue and will probably be the longest chapter of this story. That's all I feel like sharing for now, other than I don't know if I will have it posted by Friday, but I will try to have it finished by thursday night.**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing. Reading your reviews puts a smile on my face because I am happy so many of you like it. To you silent reviewers, don't feel bad for not reviewing. Just knowing you read and followed is enough for me. After I finish this, I plan on posting 'FairyWood Academy' and 'A Mermaid's Tale'. After a few chapters or so of them, I will be posting my CaTorAde fic, which is currently nameless, and 'VicTORIous N.C.I.S.'. My remake of 'Unexpected' is taking longer than I thought to write, so that will wait until 'FairyWood Academy' or 'A Mermaid's Tale' are finished. Other than that, my crossover, 'A New Beginning - A Freddie And Cat Story' will continue, as well as my collection of one-shots originally named 'Confessions', but will probably be changed to 'Jori Collection' because I have a few one-shot ideas, but I don't like the idea of all of them dealing with confessing stuff. Sorry for the rambling, I swear I'm done for this chapter. See you all next time.**

**I meant to have this updated yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to get online.**


	30. Epilogue

**Thank you all for lasting to this point, the final chapter of 'Continuation'. Usually, I start the next chapter of a story the day I post the last chapter, but because I didn't want to write this chapter yet, I postponed it until early afternoon Thursday. Thank you to each and everyone of you who have read and reviewed. It means a lot to me to know that my work is liked, and it's because of all of you that I will continue to write fanfiction. I hope you enjoy the final chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VicTORIous, or the songs mentioned, just the story. I borrow the characters and songs for entertainment, not money.**

It's been almost a month since Holly and Gary were put in jail. Life since than has been relatively calm in comparison. We still have our wacky adventures, like us getting stuck, once again, in Beck's RV. I don't know how it happened, but it did.

Beck and André have gotten even closer since Ryder was last seen. Apparently, the reason Ryder avoided us in school was thanks to them.

-Flashback, A few days before trial-

"Hey André. What's up?" Tori asks her best friend as we sit at our usual table at the Asphalt Cafe.

"Not much. Have you girls noticed Ryder spying on us lately?" He asks, setting his slice of pizza down.

"No. I haven't seen him since that one day in class." Tori says, a worried look on her face. "What do you mean, spying?"

"Ryder's been acting like a spy since that day." Beck says from beside André, sipping from his water. "I caught him a few times giving you two glares, mumbling something under his breath."

"And when he realized he's been caught," André adds in when Beck finishes. "He gets a scared look on his face and runs off."

"What do you think it means?" I ask, worried as well.

"Don't know. I overheard him on the phone a while ago. All I got was something about things not changing since the last time, whatever that means." André says, shaking his head slightly.

"Why is Ryder looking at us?" Cat asks as her and Robbie sit on the opposite side of us.

"Don't know. But if he doesn't stop, he's getting castrated by yours truly." I say, turning to where Cat was looking, seeing Ryder sitting a few tables away from us with a glare on his face. "STOP LOOKING AT US YOU HOMOPHOBIC PRETERD!" I yell at him, laughing when he jumps.

"Having fun?" Tori asks with an amused smile.

"A bit." I say, turning back and taking a bite of my salad.

"This can't be good." Beck says in an angry tone, surprising us with his unusually hostile tone.

"What's up?" André asks, looking at his boyfriend.

"Ryder's coming." He says, glaring behind us.

"Well well well. If it isn't the dykes and fags of Hollywood Arts." Ryder says in a smug tone.

"Don't say those words. They're mean." Cat says from beside Robbie, pouting at Ryder.

"Don't tell me what to do little girl." Ryder says, almost yelling at Cat.

"Shut your mouth. Do not speak to her that way." I say, standing and giving Ryder one of the darkest glares I can.

"Chill out carpet muncher." He says with a growl.

"At least I get some." I counter, smirking when he stands there, nothing to say.

"Fuck you." He says, turning to walk away.

"Sorry. The only pussy's I fuck aren't dick's also." I say, sitting down. A few moments pass in silence before Beck and André bust out laughing, congratulating me on my comeback, Cat and Robbie joining in a moment later. "You okay babe?" I ask, worried, when I see the stunned look on Tori's face.

"Why the hell did you say that to him?" She asks, finally speaking as the others calm down.

"He deserved it. Besides, it's not like he can get us in trouble. He started it with his slander. I was just having fun." I say, giving her a one-armed hug and kissing her cheek.

"I have a bad feeling about this." She says, not responding in any other way.

"We'll be fine." I say, rubbing her shoulders. "Anyway, anyone know what Carlos wants us to do in class today?"

-Flashback End-

Later that day, we all made plans to meet at the house to hang out since we didn't have anything else to do. Beck and André were late by close to three hours. Turns out, Ryder tried to jump them after school, insulting us as he does. Beck and André were able to knock him out, but for some reason, the cops weren't informed. Beck told us they didn't tell the cops because he wasn't worth it. David found out about it shortly after he and Henry took Ryder to the station the day of the trial. When he found out, the charges were added, increasing his sentence.

Tori got a letter from Holly shortly after the trial. Holly was apologizing to Tori, telling her she regrets everything she says and that she still loves her. Tori sent back a message, telling her that her lies won't help her, and that she can fuck off. I laughed at the last part.

"Morning girls." David says as he comes down the stairs, seeing Tori and I in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Morning dad." "Morning David." Tori and I say at almost the same time.

"What are you making?" He ask, sitting at the table and waiting patiently.

"The good little housewife here tricked me into making pancakes, eggs, and sausage for everyone." I say in a monotone voice, hiding my smirk from Tori as I talk.

"It was your idea!" Tori says, slapping my shoulder.

"Housewife?" David asks with an amused chuckle. "Did I miss something?"

"You didn't know?" I ask, turning to face him so Tori can't see my face. "Tori and I drove out to Vegas last night and got hitched."

"And you didn't invite me? I'm hurt." David says, pouting.

"What? It's not...I mean...You guys suck." Tori says, realizing we're just messing with her.

"Why's Tori so upset now?" Trina asks, sitting beside David.

"I'm breaking up with you." Tori says to me in an angry tone, walking up the stairs, ignoring us.

"David, can you fill her in? I need to comfort Tori." I say, rushing after Tori when David nods his okay. "Tori, it was a joke. You know I didn't mean it." I say when I finally catch up to her in her room.

"You didn't mean it? You mean you don't want to get married to me?" She asks, sounding hurt.

"No, I do. I meant I was joking about us eloping." I say, running up to her and giving her a comforting hug.

"I knew you wanted to marry me." She whispers in my ear, triumphant.

"Did you just trick me?" I ask, pulling back.

"Maybe." She says, sounding innocent.

"Damn. I taught you well." I say, smirking.

"Yep. I learned from the best." She says, giving me a hug. "Let's go. I'm hungry." She says as she pulls away and heads for the hallway.

"Hey, want to mess with the others?" I say, grabbing her arm before she gets too far away.

"What do you mean?"

"Head downstairs, acting like you're mad because I told everyone we eloped when you wanted to keep it a secret."

"That's mean though." She says with a pout, turning it into a smirk. "I like it. Ready?"

"Action." I say with a smirk.

"Jade, I can't believe you told." She says, stomping down the stairs.

"I'm sorry. I honestly thought they already knew." I say, following behind.

"Did you really think I wanted my family to know we eloped in Vegas?" She says, stopping by the piano to turn around. To David and Trina, who are still sitting in the kitchen, it looks like she's glaring at me angrily. But in reality, she's fighting a smile.

"Oh, come on. You're acting like I kidnapped you." I say, keeping my face straight.

"You're unbelievable." She says, turning her smile into a frown before turning and heading towards the kitchen. "Do you think this is just a game?" She says, starting to cook again.

"You're being ridiculous." I say, walking behind her. "So we eloped. Big deal."

"Big deal?" She asks in a dangerously low tone. Even though we're just acting, my shocked face is genuine. "That's how you think of us getting married?"

"I didn't mean it like that." I say, heading closer to her, stopping when she turns around. "Us getting married is a big deal, and I mean that in the best way possible."

"I don't want to hear it. I'm going to Cat's." She says, shutting the stove off and heading up to her room.

"Tori wait." I say, following her.

"What, Jade?" She asks, stopping in the middle of the hallway, a smirk on her face.

"You evil bitch. You were messing with me?"

"How'd I do?" She asks with a proud smile.

"Damn. I'm one lucky chick to have you." I say, walking towards her and giving her a passionate kiss. "Don't scare me like that again." I say as we pull apart.

"Did you see dad's and Trina's faces?" She asks, pulling me towards her room.

"No. I was too busy worried that my girlfriend was about to break up with me to notice." I say, following her.

"Sorry." She says, head down slightly. "But they looked so worried about us. Dad looked like he was about the intervene. I couldn't resist taking it so far."

"Tori. You scared the shit out of me, and you worried your family. Damn, I love you." I say, kissing her again.

"And I love you." She says, returning the kiss.

"Are you girls okay?" David asks from the other side of the door. I didn't even realize it was closed.

"We're fine." Tori says, giggling.

"Are you sure? You don't sound as heartbroken as you did a moment ago." David says, concern in his voice.

"We were just messing with you." Tori says, opening the door. "We didn't mean for it to get that bad, but it was kind of fun."

"You girls are mean." He says, giving us concerned looks. "Anyway, Trina finished breakfast. She says it's almost done."

"Thanks. We're really sorry, David." I say, walking up behind Tori.

"It's okay, but we were worried. You looked like you thought she was serious." He says to me.

"Honestly? I was at that point. With how she sounded and looked at me? I genuinely thought she was breaking up with me."

"Well, I'm not. But I expect you to propose." She says, walking past her father, smirking as she looks back at us.

"Any idea how you're gonna do it?" David asks me as Tori walks down the stairs.

"Not yet." I say, knowing she's not kidding at this point.

"Good luck." He tells me, leading me downstairs where Tori is sitting across from Trina, Carlos beside the eldest Vega sister. "Where were you at?" David asks his nephew as we near the kitchen.

"In the garage. Apparently, I now have a summer job." He says, taking a sip of his Mountain Dew.

"Who would want you?" I ask jokingly as I make myself a plate of breakfast.

"Be nice. Jordan asked me to help out with the recon team this summer." He says, nonchalantly.

"Have fun. Isn't it a little early for that though? It's barely half-way though the school year." I say as I sit down beside Tori.

"Better being prepared early than at the last minute." David says, grabbing himself a plate.

"True. Hey Trina." I say, turning my attention from David to Trina. "I hear you've been wanting to take singing lessons?"

"Oh yeah." She says, shocked that I knew. "I've been meaning to ask you Tori. Would you be willing to help me with that? I talked to Andre yesterday and he agreed to help too."

"Sure." Tori says, curious. "When do you want to start?"

"Whenever." Trina says, taking a bite of her pancake.

"You still on desk duty?" I ask David while Tori and Trina make their plans.

"Yep. For a few more weeks." He says, smiling. "Henry couldn't be more excited about it. The replacement they gave him is annoying, apparently." He says with a chuckle.

The rest of the morning is filled with small talk. David leaves shortly after breakfast is finished to head to the station. Carlos leaves shortly after David, claiming he has a meeting. He wouldn't say with who or where, but something tells me his 'meeting' involves Natasha. Tori and I head out to hang out with the others. Trina stayed home, wanting to go over some stuff before she starts college in a few months. We hang out with the gang for a bit, before heading home to relax. Around 1, we start to feel hungry, so we call the others to see about hanging out again for lunch.

"Hey chicas." André says, opening the door to Beck's RV. Tori and I walk in, seeing Beck on his bed, Cat and Robbie on the couch. We follow André over as he sits beside Beck.

"So, what's there to do on a Saturday?" I ask as I sit on the couch, Tori sitting on my lap.

"I'd say the beach, but after the last two times, probably not the best idea." Beck says with a nervous laugh at the idea.

"How about Karaoke Dokie?" André suggests. "We haven't been there in a while."

"Sure. I guess." Tori says as the rest of us nod in agreement. We get up and follow Beck out the RV. We all head towards Andre's SUV, which is the only vehicle all six of us can fit in comfortably.

On the way, Tori and André make small talk, planning on what songs they want to sing. Cat and I talk as well, planning on possibly doing a song again as well. Beck and Robbie are talking as well, but they're talking about something on TV.

"What about you?" I turn my attention from Cat to Tori, who's smiling at me.

"What about me what?" I ask, not knowing what she means.

"Should we do a duet again?" She asks, lips starting to form a pout.

"Sure. Hey André. You gonna do a duet with Cat if Tori and I do one?" I ask him as he drives us closer to Karaoke Dokie.

"Maybe. Any song ideas Lil' Red?" He asks her as he drives.

"I don't know." Cat says, looking at André.

The rest of the ride is filled with us talking. André and Cat have decided on a song, but I didn't hear what it was. Same for Tori and André. Cat and I decided on 'Chemicals React' by Aly & Aj. Tori and I decided on another song by Aly & Aj, this one is 'Protecting Me'. It's a little softer than what I'm used to, but the meaning of the song is good, and it's not a bad song.

"Here are, everyone." André says as he pulls into the parking lot.

"What song are you and Tori singing?" I ask as I follow Tori out of the SUV.

"We decided to do a remix of 'Countdown'." He answers, walking in step with Beck in front of the group. "What about you and Cat? I didn't hear what you two are singing."

"'Chemicals React' by Aly & Aj." Cat answers from behind us, arms around Robbie's waist.

"What about you and Cat?" Tori asks André, smile on her face.

"We don't know yet." Cat says as we get to the door.

"Well, let's eat, then you guys can sing, alright?" Beck says as he and André open the doors for us, walking in behind Cat and Robbie.

"Do they still have buffalo nuggets?" André asks as we head for an available table.

"I think It's one of the most popular things people order here." I say as we finally find a table big enough to fit all six of us.

"Good. Those things are good. I still kinda feel bad for the buffalo though." André says as we sit down.

"Well well. Look who it is." An annoying voice says from behind Tori and I.

"Weren't you two banned?" I ask in a bored tone as I turn around to see Hayley and Tara standing there.

"Daddy bought the place again. Lifted our ban." Hayley says.

"Really? Last I heard he wasn't allowed to own buildings anymore. Something about illegal drugs in the back rooms?" Tori says, causing all of us to give her confused looks.

"That was a lie. How'd you hear that anyway?" Hayley yells out, sounding surprised.

"My dad's a cop." She says, smirking. "He knows my friends and I like coming here, so he informed me about the previous boss."

"And the ban still stands." A familiar voice says. "Hey everyone." Maria says with a smile aimed at us, changing into a glare when she turns to her sister. "Out. Now."

"The guard let us in." Tara says smugly.

"We don't have a guard." Maria says, leering at her. "I should probably change that though." She says as an afterthought.

"We know a team of bounty hunters." I say helpfully. "Tori has the boss' number on speed dial and her cousin's dating a member of her team." I say, indicating Tori when I say 'her cousin'.

"Seriously?" Hayley and Tara say at the same time, sounding shocked.

"hey Jordan. What are you and Natasha doing for lunch today?" Tori asks into her phone. "Bring him along. We're at Karaoke Dokie." She says after a moment of pause. "Okay. See you in a bit."

"What'd she say?" I ask.

"She's on her way with Natasha and Carlos." She says, putting her phone in her pocket.

"What was Carlos doing at the base?" André asks, curious.

"Hanging out apparently." Tori says, shrugging her shoulders.

"You actually expect us to believe you?" Hayley says, glaring at us.

"Wait a bit and find out." I say to her, smirking at the small hint of fear in her eyes.

"You know, the only time anything interesting happens here, you guys are here." Maria says, pointing to the gang.

"It started when Tori joined." Cat says, pointing at Tori.

"She's not wrong." Beck says, sounding thoughtful. "Has anyone noticed that since she joined Hollywood Arts, we've been in weird situations?"

"That is so not true." Tori says, sounding insulted.

"Yeah, it is." André and I say at the same time.

"Really?" Tori asks, looking around the table at us.

"Sorry babe." I say, giving her shoulder a quick pat.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Hayley says, causing some of us to jump.

"I can arrange that." I say, smirking at her.

"Hey guys." Jordan says as she leads Carlos and Natasha in the doors. "Surprised to see us so early?" She says, sitting down at an adjoining table.

"Who are you?" Maria asks kindly.

"Jordan. This is Natasha, head of the recon team. And this is Carlos, Tori's cousin." Jordan says as Natasha sits down.

"You don't look like a bounty hunter." Hayley says, scoffing.

"I am, little girl." Jordan says, sounding uncharacteristically angry. She stand up, taking out her badge, showing that she is indeed a bounty hunter, before returning it to her pocket.

"Why'd you sound like she insulted you?" Robbie asks, sounding slightly scared. I can't really blame him. Jordan's gun is still holstered at her waist.

"Long story." Jordan says, sighing. "Anyway, why did you call me here?" She asks Tori in a lighter tone.

"They didn't believe we knew bounty hunters." Tori says, smiling as she points to Hayley and Tara.

"Any chance I can hire a member of your team to guard the door? These two are banned from entering, but there's no one at the door to enforce that." Maria asks her.

"I'll call Leon. He used to be a guard at a prison." Jordan says. "I'll bring him tomorrow."

"Thanks. Now, leave." Maria says, turning from Jordan to Hayley and Tara.

"Fine. We don't want to eat here anyway." Hayley says as she and Tara leave, Tara giving her a confused look.

"I thought you said you've been wanting to eat here for months?" Tara says as the go.

"Shut up." Hayley hisses as the go.

"Okay, that was weird." Natasha says.

"So, you guys ready to order?" Maria asks.

"Buffalo nuggets." André says loudly, scaring a few of us, including Maria. "Sorry, but those things are good."

"It's okay. Our chef takes his time making them. So, what about everyone else?" Maria asks, chuckling lightly from Andre's outburst. After we give her our orders, she closed the notebook and heads to the chef to place our orders.

"So, how has everyone been?" Natasha asks as Jordan and Tori talk about something I can't hear.

"Good. What are you two talking about?" I say, turning my attention to them.

"The team and I want to be there when you propose, and we better get invites to the wedding." Jordan says, causing everyone minus her and Tori to stop and stare at us.

"What did you tell her?" I ask Tori, sounding slightly afraid.

"About this morning." Tori says with a smile. "And how you admitted that you wanted to marry me."

"Can I come to the wedding?" Cat asks, hopeful.

"Of course you can. Hell, you'd be my Maid of Honor." I tell her honestly.

"Yay!" She yells, getting up and crushing me in a hug. "What about you Tori?"

"Well, I'm thinking Trina. She's not as diva-esque as she used to be so, why not." Tori answers with a shrug of her shoulders.

"What about me?" André and Beck ask at the same time, causing all of us to laugh.

"You're out Best Men." I say, as if it's common knowledge.

"Nice." Beck says, giving André a hug.

The rest of the afternoon goes well. Maria brings our food out, wishing us good luck on our marriage. She won't tell us how she overheard the conversation, but I have a feeling she was spying on us. We sang our songs and did well. Cat and André sang 'Enchanted' by Taylor Swift, and they sound good together. Well, we all sound good together, but anyway. We head home, André dropping us off at Beck's so we can pick up our cars and head out separately. Jordan, Natasha, and Carlos left the same time as us, but didn't follow us. Tori and I walk in, seeing Trina on one of the couches watching 'Footloose', the remake, not original.

"Hey Trina." Tori says, sitting beside her sister.

"Hey. How was lunch?" Trina asks as I sit down on Tori's other side.

"Good. Apparently, if I don't propose to Tori over the next few years, Jordan's gonna have a 'talk' with me." I say, sighing.

"Good. You have until your second year of college is over to propose." Trina says, eyeing me.

"Why is everyone ganging up on me about this?" I ask, glaring at the two Vega sisters.

"You let it slip that you wanted to marry me, so you get to propose." Tori says with a smug smile.

"That's not fair." I say, sounding like Cat.

"When did Cat get here?" Trina says with a small laugh.

"Just because we're kind of friends now does not give you the right to make jokes." I say, glaring at her.

"But I am your girlfriend's sister." Trina says, with Tori nodding in agreement.

"I'm going upstairs to work on my Creative Writing project." I say as I stand up and head upstairs.

"I'll get your coffee." Tori says while laughing.

"Good little housewife." I say under my breath as I get to the stairs.

"Good little Jadelyn." Tori says loudly from the kitchen, causing me to flinch.

"You heard that?" I ask, hesitant to turn around.

"Yep. No watching 'The Scissoring' while you work. You know it messes with your train of thought." She says as the coffee maker pours my coffee.

"Yes ma'am." I say, heading up.

A few minutes later, Tori enters my room with her bag and two cups. One is filled with coffee, and the other pink lemonade. We sit in comfortable silence, working on our homework that's due next week. We make small talk, joking on occasion, for the few hours it takes us to complete our homework. Around 7:30, Trina calls us down for dinner. The five of us sit and eat the rice soup David made earlier. After dinner, Tori and I head back upstairs, going to our separate rooms for the night.

"Good night Jade. I love you." Tori says before we split up, love in her eyes.

"Good night Tori. I love you." I tell her, just as much love in mine. We lean in and kiss, putting as much passion and emotion in as we can before breaking apart slowly and walking into our rooms.

We've had a lot of pain and hardships on the road behind us, and they've drawn us closer together. The road is always continuing on, and we will love each other the entire way.

**This has been a long road for me, and I would like to say thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing. This isn't the end of the Jori Pathways Saga, as I call it. I have a sequel planned now, showing the rest of their senior year and college life and life after that. I don't know how long it will take for me to post the first chapter of it, but I do have other stories for all of you to read if you so choose while you wait. I was hesitant to start this chapter, not liking having to end it. I know I didn't have to end it, but I felt it was getting to be too much, unless that's just me that thought that.**

**I truly thank you all for reading this story, and I hope to see you all again in future stories of mine. I will be posting the first chapters of 'A Mermaid's Tale' and 'FairyWood Academy' sometime next month. I'm going on vacation for a couple of weeks, starting May 22. I'm set to be back on June 4 of 5, but I can't guarantee posting those days because my grandma and three cousins might be staying with us for a week, and I don't know if I'll be able to get to the library to post anything until they leave. I don't want to start posting them before I leave because I'll feel bad for not being able to post anything in those 2 to 3 weeks, but I will hopefully be able to post one more chapter of my crossover, and one or two more parts for 'Jori Collection' before I go. So, until I can, I'll be writing as many chapters as I can for all of you to read.**

**Wish me luck on my cousins coming over, if they do. I have a feeling I'll need it.**

**This may be the weirdest thing I've asked anyone, but does anyone know how to make Elizabeth Gillies and/or Victoria Justice for WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2011 for the Wii? I want to make them, or at least one of them, as Divas. Just thought I'd ask.**

**As they say in the House of Night series, Merry Meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet again.**

**Blessed be. (Might be my signoff. Is that okay?)**


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